Regular polygons and circles

  • Circle Packing
    problem

    Circle packing

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Equal circles can be arranged so that each circle touches four or six others. What percentage of the plane is covered by circles in each packing pattern? ...
  • Cube Paths
    problem

    Cube paths

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Given a 2 by 2 by 2 skeletal cube with one route `down' the cube. How many routes are there from A to B?
  • Floored
    problem

    Floored

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    A floor is covered by a tessellation of equilateral triangles, each having three equal arcs inside it. What proportion of the area of the tessellation is shaded?
  • Three four five
    problem

    Three four five

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Two semi-circles (each of radius 1/2) touch each other, and a semi-circle of radius 1 touches both of them. Find the radius of the circle which touches all three semi-circles.
  • Holly
    problem

    Holly

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The ten arcs forming the edges of the "holly leaf" are all arcs of circles of radius 1 cm. Find the length of the perimeter of the holly leaf and the area of its surface.
  • The medieval octagon
    problem

    The medieval octagon

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Medieval stonemasons used a method to construct octagons using ruler and compasses... Is the octagon regular? Proof please.
  • Tricircle
    problem

    Tricircle

    Age
    14 to 16
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The centre of the larger circle is at the midpoint of one side of an equilateral triangle and the circle touches the other two sides of the triangle. A smaller circle touches the larger circle and two sides of the triangle. If the small circle has radius 1 unit find the radius of the larger circle.
  • Pent
    problem

    Pent

    Age
    14 to 18
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    The diagram shows a regular pentagon with sides of unit length. Find all the angles in the diagram. Prove that the quadrilateral shown in red is a rhombus.
  • Squaring the circle
    problem

    Squaring the circle

    Age
    11 to 14
    Challenge level
    filled star filled star empty star
    Bluey-green, white and transparent squares with a few odd bits of shapes around the perimeter. But, how many squares are there of each type in the complete circle? Study the picture and make an estimate.