A POLYGON is the family name for two-dimensional shapes whose edges are all straight lines. There are a number of properties that apply to all polygons, and a few more that only apply to regular polygons. Test how well you know your facts in this GCSE Maths quiz!
The word polygon derives from the Greek, with ‘poly’ meaning many, and ‘gon’ meaning corner or angle. The prefix ‘poly’ appears in many other words we use, can you think of any? Polystyrene means a chain of many styrene molecules, other chemical names like polyester and polythene have the same logic.
Individual polygons are named according to the number of sides they have, and you should know the names of them up to at least 10 sides.