Symmetries of Regular Polygons
A line that reflects a figure onto itself is called a line of symmetry.
A figure that can be carried onto itself by a rotation is said to have rotational symmetry.
A diagonal of a polygon is any line segment that connects non‐consecutive vertices of the polygon.
For each of the following regular polygons, describe the rotations and reflections that carry it onto itself: (be as specific as possible in your descriptions, such as specifying the angle of rotation)
1. An equilateral triangle
2. A square
3. A regular pentagon
4. A regular hexagon
5. A regular octagon
6. A regular nonagon
What patterns do you notice in terms of the number and characteristics of the lines of symmetry in a regular polygon?
What patterns do you notice in terms of the angles of rotation when describing the rotational symmetry in a regular polygon?
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