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Can irregular polygons tessellate

Updated: 4/28/2022
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Wiki User

7y ago

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Some can, but not all. For example, rhombi, rhomboids, oblongs, and isosceles triangles can tessellate; however, most irregular polygons cannot.

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True, but an incomplete answer. All triangles and quadrilaterals, whether regular or irregular, will tessellate. No regular pentagon will tessellate but (as of 2016), there are 15 irregular pentagons which will tessellate. There are 3 convex hexagons, (regular and 2 irregular) which will tessellate. No polygon with 7 or more sides, even if it is regular, will tessellate.

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7y ago
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Patrick McManus

Lvl 1
1y ago
To correct the answer above, there are many polygons with 7 or more sides that can tessellate. For example, a rectilinear equilateral 12-sided shape that resembles a + has the ability to tessellate.

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Why do shapes tessellate?

Shapes tessellate to fit around an interior angle. They also tessellate because they are regular polygons; non-regular polygons cannot tessellate. * * * * * Not correct. All triangles and quadrilaterals will tessellate, whether regular or irregular. Contrary to the above answer, a regular pentagon will not tessellate but there are 14 different irregular pentagons which will tessellate (the last was discovered in 2015). Three convex hexagons will do so as well. No polygon of 7 or more sides will tessellate - whether they are regular (contrary to the above answer) or irregular.


Can you tessellate five sided regular polygons by themselves?

five-sided polygons cannot tessellate


What polygon can be tessellate?

Regular polygons: Equilateral triangles, squares, rectangles, rhombi, hexagons. Irregular polygons: Isosceles triangles and symmetric trapeziums (isosceles triangles with the odd angle cut off by a line parallel to the base) will do if they are alternating up and down. There are also many irregular shapes. MC Escher (see for example, http:/www.mcescher.com/Gallery/gallery-symmetry.htm) used repeated irregular shapes to tessellate. Although some of these have curved sides, they can be replaced by appropriate straight sides to produce polygons which will do the trick.


Which polygons tessellate with other shapes?

For any polygon, there will be other shapes such that, together, they can tessellate.


Will an octagon tessellate?

A regular octagon will not tessellate but an irregular one can.

Related questions

Which of the polygons cannot be used to create a pure tessellation?

The only regular polygons which will tessellate are those with 3, 4 or 6 sides. But all irregular triangles, all irregular quadrilaterals, 15 classes of irregular convex pentagons and 3 classes of irregular convex hexagons will tessellate. In addition, there are concave polygons with different numbers of sides which will also tessellate.


Why do shapes tessellate?

Shapes tessellate to fit around an interior angle. They also tessellate because they are regular polygons; non-regular polygons cannot tessellate. * * * * * Not correct. All triangles and quadrilaterals will tessellate, whether regular or irregular. Contrary to the above answer, a regular pentagon will not tessellate but there are 14 different irregular pentagons which will tessellate (the last was discovered in 2015). Three convex hexagons will do so as well. No polygon of 7 or more sides will tessellate - whether they are regular (contrary to the above answer) or irregular.


Which polygon does not tessellate and why?

Most regular polygons will not - by themselves. In fact, of the regular polygons, only a triangle, square and hexagon will. No other regular polygon will create a regular tessellation. However, for polygons with any number of sides, there are irregular versions that can tessellate.


What shapes do not tessellate?

Shapes such as circles, regular pentagons, and heptagons.Most regular polygons will not tessellate on their own. Only triangles, squares and hexagons will.With irregular polygons there is more of a choice. All isosceles or scalene triangles, parallelograms, trapeziums and kites will tessellate as will some higher order polygons.


How can you determine whether given shapes will make a tessellation?

There is no simple way.All triangles will tessellate. All quadrilaterals will tessellate There are 15 classes of convex pentagons (the latest discovered in 2015) which will tessellate. Regular hexagons will tessellate. In addition, there are 3 classes of irregular convex hexagons which will tessellate. No convex polygon with 7 or more sides will tessellate.In addition, there are concave polygons, and non-polygons which will tessellate.


Can heptagon tessellate?

No. Equilateral heptagons (7 sided figures) do not tessellate the plane. Not if no other polygons are allowed. But if you allow a (non-equilateral) pentagon then you might be able to tessellate the plane!


What polygons were used to make the tessellation?

All triangles will tessellate. All quadrilaterals will tessellate There are 15 classes of convex pentagons (the latest discovered in 2015) which will tessellate. Regular hexagons will tessellate. In addition, there are 3 classes of irregular convex hexagons which will tessellate. No convex polygon with 7 or more sides will tessellate.


Can you tessellate six-sided polygons by themselves?

Yes, you can tessellate six-sided polygons by themselves.


Can you tessellate five sided regular polygons by themselves?

five-sided polygons cannot tessellate


Can polygons be used by itself to make a tessellation?

All triangles will tessellate. All quadrilaterals will tessellate There are 15 classes of convex pentagons (the latest discovered in 2015) which will tessellate. Regular hexagons will tessellate. In addition, there are 3 classes of irregular convex hexagons which will tessellate. No convex polygon with 7 or more sides will tessellate.


Is it true that you cannot tessellate seven sided polygons by themselves?

You cannot tessellate convex polygons with 7 or more sides.


Do regular polygons tessellate?

Any polygon with external angles which are equal to a factor of 360 will tessellate. The only regular polygons which will tessellate are equilateral triangles, squares, and hexagons.