About the Regular Hexagon
What Is a Regular Hexagon?
A regular hexagon is a six-sided polygon with all sides equal and all angles equal at 120 degrees each. The hexagon is one of the most efficient shapes in nature, appearing in honeycombs, crystal structures, and basalt columns. It tessellates perfectly, filling a plane with no gaps.
Area Formula
The area of a regular hexagon with side length s is A = (3sqrt(3)/2) x s². This derives from dividing the hexagon into 6 equilateral triangles, each with side s and area (sqrt(3)/4)s².
Special Properties
The circumradius (distance from center to vertex) equals the side length: R = s. The apothem (distance from center to side midpoint) is r = s x sqrt(3)/2. The long diagonal equals 2s (diameter of the circumcircle). These elegant relationships make hexagon calculations particularly straightforward.
Applications
Hexagons are used extensively in engineering and design: honeycomb structures in aerospace, bolt heads and nuts, floor tiles, board game grids, and cellular network design. The hexagonal packing provides maximum area coverage with minimum perimeter.