Hexagon

A hexagon is a 6-sided polygon (a flat shape with straight sides): 

images/area-coords.js?mode=6

soap bubbles hexagons
Soap bubbles tend to form hexagons
when they join up.

honeycomb hexagons
Honeycomb has hexagons too!

Regular or Irregular

When all angles are equal and all sides are equal it is regular, otherwise it is irregular:

Regular Hexagon Irregular hexagonIrregular hexagon
Regular Hexagon Irregular Hexagons

Concave or Convex

A convex hexagon has no angles pointing inwards. More precisely, no internal angles can be more than 180°.

When any internal angle is greater than 180° it is concave. (Think: concave has a "cave" in it)

Irregular hexagon Irregular hexagon
Convex Hexagon Concave Hexagon

Is it a Hexagon?

No curved sides. And the shape must also be closed (all the lines connect up):

Irregular hexagon Not a Hexagon Not a Hexagon
Hexagon
(straight sides)
Not a Hexagon
(has a curve)
Not a Hexagon
(open, not closed)

Properties

Regular Hexagon

A regular hexagon has:

Regular Hexagon radius of side length
The radius is the side length.
It is also made of 6 regular triangles!

Any hexagon has:

More Images

Hex nuts and bolts
Hexagonal nuts and bolts are easy to grip with a wrench,
which can be re-positioned every 60° if needed.

 

Hexagon on Saturn
There is a huge hexagon on Saturn,
it is wider than Earth.

Hexagon on Saturn
Another image of the hexagon on Saturn.

Snowflake with Hexagonal pattern
Snowflakes have hexagonal patterns, like this beautiful image from NASA.
Photograph by NASA / Alexey Kljatov.

Hexagonal Ice Crystal
Also a snowflake!
Photograph by NASA / Alexey Kljatov.

 

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