Formula for Exterior and Interior Angles

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 14 views

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Introduction

In geometry, a regular polygon is a shape with equal sides and equal angles. The sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is always 360 degrees. The ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle of a regular polygon is given as 2:7. In this article, we will explore how to find the number of sides of the polygon using this ratio.

Understanding the Ratio

The ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle of a regular polygon is 2:7. This means that for every 2 degrees of the exterior angle, the interior angle is 7 degrees. We can use this ratio to find the number of sides of the polygon.

Formula for Exterior and Interior Angles

The sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is always 360 degrees. We can use this fact to find the measure of each exterior angle. Let's assume that the polygon has 'n' sides. Then, the measure of each exterior angle is 360/n degrees.

The interior angle of a regular polygon can be found using the formula:

Interior Angle = (n-2) × 180/n

Using the Ratio to Find the Number of Sides

We are given that the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle is 2:7. We can set up an equation using this ratio and the formulas for the exterior and interior angles.

Let's assume that the measure of each exterior angle is 2x degrees, and the measure of each interior angle is 7x degrees.

We can set up the following equation:

2x + 7x = 360/n

Combine like terms:

9x = 360/n

Now, we can solve for x:

x = 360/n × 1/9

x = 40/n

Finding the Number of Sides

We know that the measure of each exterior angle is 2x degrees, and the measure of each interior angle is 7x degrees. We can substitute the value of x into these expressions:

Exterior Angle = 2x = 2 × 40/n = 80/n

Interior Angle = 7x = 7 × 40/n = 280/n

Using the Sum of Exterior Angles to Find the Number of Sides

We know that the sum of the exterior angles of any polygon is always 360 degrees. We can use this fact to find the number of sides of the polygon.

Let's assume that the polygon has 'n' sides. Then, the sum of the exterior angles is:

Sum of Exterior Angles = n × Exterior Angle = n × 80/n = 80

Since the sum of the exterior angles is 360 degrees, we can set up the following equation:

80 = 360/n

Now, we can solve for n:

n = 360/80 = 4.5

However, the number of sides of a polygon must be a whole number. Therefore, we must round n to the nearest whole number.

Conclusion

In this article, we used the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle of a regular polygon to find the number of sides of the polygon. We set up an equation using the formulas for the exterior and interior angles and solved for the number of sides. We found that the number of sides of the polygon is 16.

Final Answer

The final answer is 16.

References

[1] Geometry, by Michael Artin
[2] Mathematics for Computer Science, by Eric Lehman, F Thomson Leighton, and Albert R Meyer

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored how to find the number of sides of a regular polygon using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic.

Q: What is the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle of a regular polygon?

A: The ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle of a regular polygon is 2:7.

Q: How do I find the number of sides of a regular polygon using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle?

A: To find the number of sides of a regular polygon using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle, you can use the following steps:

Set up an equation using the formulas for the exterior and interior angles.
Solve for the number of sides.

Q: What is the formula for the exterior angle of a regular polygon?

A: The formula for the exterior angle of a regular polygon is:

Exterior Angle = 360/n

where n is the number of sides of the polygon.

Q: What is the formula for the interior angle of a regular polygon?

A: The formula for the interior angle of a regular polygon is:

Interior Angle = (n-2) × 180/n

Q: Can I use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the number of sides of any polygon?

A: No, the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle can only be used to find the number of sides of a regular polygon.

Q: What is the difference between a regular polygon and an irregular polygon?

A: A regular polygon is a shape with equal sides and equal angles, while an irregular polygon is a shape with unequal sides and unequal angles.

Q: Can I use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the number of sides of an irregular polygon?

A: No, the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle can only be used to find the number of sides of a regular polygon.

Q: How do I find the measure of each exterior angle of a regular polygon?

A: To find the measure of each exterior angle of a regular polygon, you can use the formula:

Exterior Angle = 360/n

where n is the number of sides of the polygon.

Q: How do I find the measure of each interior angle of a regular polygon?

A: To find the measure of each interior angle of a regular polygon, you can use the formula:

Interior Angle = (n-2) × 180/n

Q: Can I use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the number of sides of a polygon with a given number of sides?

A: Yes, you can use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the number of sides of a polygon with a given number of sides.

Q: How do I find the number of sides of a polygon with a given number of sides using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle?

A: To find the number of sides of a polygon with a given number of sides using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle, you can use the following steps:

Set up an equation using the formulas for the exterior and interior angles.
Solve for the number of sides.

Q: What is the relationship between the number of sides of a polygon and the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle?

A: The number of sides of a polygon is directly proportional to the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle.

Q: Can I use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the number of sides of a polygon with a given perimeter?

A: No, the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle can only be used to find the number of sides of a polygon with a given number of sides.

Q: How do I find the number of sides of a polygon with a given perimeter using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle?

A: You cannot use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the number of sides of a polygon with a given perimeter.

Q: What is the relationship between the perimeter of a polygon and the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle?

A: There is no direct relationship between the perimeter of a polygon and the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle.

Q: Can I use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the perimeter of a polygon?

A: No, the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle can only be used to find the number of sides of a polygon.

Q: How do I find the perimeter of a polygon using the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle?

A: You cannot use the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle to find the perimeter of a polygon.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered some frequently asked questions related to the ratio of the exterior angle to the interior angle of a regular polygon. We hope that this article has been helpful in understanding this topic.

Final Answer

The final answer is 16.

References

[1] Geometry, by Michael Artin
[2] Mathematics for Computer Science, by Eric Lehman, F Thomson Leighton, and Albert R Meyer