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Geometry Basics Overview

Jun 21, 2025

Overview

This lecture introduces the concepts of lines, angles, polygons, diagonals, and classifications of polygons, focusing on their basic properties and differences.

Lines and Rays

  • A curved line is formed by moving a point freely in any direction.
  • A straight line is formed by moving a point without changing its direction.
  • A line segment has two endpoints.
  • A ray has one endpoint and extends infinitely in one direction.

Angles

  • An angle is formed when two rays emerge from a common point, called the vertex.
  • The size of an angle can be visualized by rotating one ray about the vertex.

Polygons and Their Classification

  • A polygon is named based on its number of sides or vertices.
  • Triangle: 3 sides/vertices.
  • Quadrilateral: 4 sides/vertices.
  • Pentagon: 5 sides/vertices.
  • Hexagon: 6 sides/vertices.
  • Heptagon: 7 sides/vertices.
  • Octagon: 8 sides/vertices.

Diagonals of Polygons

  • A diagonal is a line segment connecting two non-consecutive vertices of a polygon.
  • In a quadrilateral, there are two diagonals; in a pentagon, there are more.

Convex and Concave Polygons

  • A convex polygon has all diagonals inside the figure (none in the exterior).
  • A concave polygon has some diagonals or parts of them lying outside the figure.
  • The focus will be on convex polygons in this course.

Regular and Irregular Polygons

  • A regular polygon is both equiangular (equal angles) and equilateral (equal sides).
  • An irregular polygon lacks equal sides or equal angles.
  • Examples: Square and equilateral triangle are regular; rectangle and right triangle are irregular.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Curved Line — Path traced by a point moving freely in any direction.
  • Line Segment — Part of a line bounded by two endpoints.
  • Ray — Part of a line with one endpoint, extending infinitely in one direction.
  • Angle — Formed by two rays with a common endpoint (vertex).
  • Polygon — Closed figure with straight sides.
  • Diagonal — Line segment joining non-consecutive vertices of a polygon.
  • Convex Polygon — All diagonals lie within the polygon.
  • Concave Polygon — At least one diagonal lies outside the polygon.
  • Regular Polygon — Polygon with all sides and angles equal.
  • Irregular Polygon — Polygon with unequal sides or angles.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Review types of quadrilaterals and their properties for the next class.