As we move into chapter 9 and concepts of area, part of our studies will focus on applying skills we know about congruent triangles and trigonometry to tackle problems involving the more complex shapes we explored during our polygons unit. The area formula I alluded to in class on Thurs/Fri was A=(1/2)a*P, where P is the perimeter (a familiar concept) and a is the apothem (a new concept).
Assignment
1. Watch the video below. Take notes on the video, focusing on just what an apothem is and the steps needed to find it. Be able to explain how to find the central angle of a polygon, rather than just memorizing the formula.
2. Once the video is complete, you will have determined the apothem for both the regular pentagon and octagon as the instructor has demonstrated. Now, determine the area of each shape using the formula A = 1/2 * a* P .