Geometry Basics
Need to brush up on your geometry skills? Geometry deals with the discovery of patterns and calculation of areas, volumes, lengths, and angles. Read about some common concepts below, then move on to our geometry resources!
The circle
In geometry, students are introduced to some new mathematical terms relating to circles. Pi, commonly denoted by the π symbol, is a mathematical constant and is usually approximated as 3.14159. The radius of a circle is the distance from the middle of the circle to any point on the circle, while diameter is two times the radius. Lastly, the circumference is the distance around the circle once. These terms can then be found in some important formulas for circles:
- Area = π x (radius2)
- Circumference = 2 x π x radius or Circumference = π x diameter
Polygons
Students are introduced to polygons as early as preschool. Polygons are defined as closed, flat (or two dimensional) shapes with at least three straight lines. To study some of these shapes in more depth, visit our resources on
triangles (3 sides),
quadrilaterals (4 sides),
pentagons (5 sides), and
hexagons (6 sides).
3D Shapes
While two dimensional shapes only have a width and height, three dimensional shapes add the third dimension of depth. To learn more about what these shapes are, check out our 3D shapes resources. With this third dimension, the properties of the shapes change. Three dimensional shapes have the properties of:
- Surface area: the total area of all surfaces, or the amount of area you would be able to paint over.
- Volume: the amount of space inside the shape. For example, the amount of water it could hold. For more information on this subject, see our resources on volume.
Geometry covers many topics, and your child is sure to enjoy learning more about all of these math topics as they go through our resources!
