Angles in polygons

Angles in polygons for Access to HE Drama: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • Access to HE
  • Drama
  • Spec P15 · P8
  • 5 min read
  • 9 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
1 min read

What is angles in polygons?

Listen to this box

Transcript

A short spoken summary of angles in polygons and where it is used.

A spoken walk-through of angles in polygons before you read the notes.
Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
3 rows

The angles in polygons reference table

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
Term
Meaning
Example
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
Row 3 column 1
Row 3 column 2
34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
Row 4 column 1
Row 4 column 2
49=7\sqrt{49} = 7

Learning

5 boxes
4 steps

How to work with angles in polygons

Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing angles in polygons laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for angles in polygons in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
Answer: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
3 rules

Key facts: Angles in polygons

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
  • Rule 1

    How angles in polygons behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}
  • Rule 2

    How angles in polygons behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
  • Rule 3

    How angles in polygons behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    ×10\times 10 moves every digit one column left
3 steps

How to work with angles in polygons

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing angles in polygons laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for angles in polygons in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
Answer: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0
2 rules

Key facts: Angles in polygons

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
Worth knowing: 160\approx 160.
  • Rule 1

    How angles in polygons behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
  • Rule 2

    How angles in polygons behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
  • Rule 3

    How angles in polygons behaves in the 3rd of the cases the specification names.
    160\approx 160
5 steps

How to work with angles in polygons

Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for angles in polygons in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
Answer: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2

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Examples

2 boxes
4 marks · worked

Worked example: angles in polygons

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing angles in polygons laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Worth knowing: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
3 marks · worked

Practice question 9: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0

The examiner marks the working, so a correct answer with no method still drops marks.

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Common questions

How many marks is angles in polygons usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the Access to HE Drama paper?
Yes — it sits in the Inheritance strand.