A Math Forum Project

Geometry Forum Problem of the Week

    Hexagonal Window - November 14-18:

    Briana and Brandt were huddled together in the back of geometry class, working very on intently on something when Mr. Bachman asked them what they were doing.
    "We're working on a problem for my dad." said Briana. "In our kitchen there's an alcove that doesn't get enough light and he decided to put in a hexagonal window between the wall studs. He wants the hexagon to be regular, you know, with all the sides and angles equal. The window has to fit in a space 22.5" wide. I know that's not the normal spacing for studs but it's how they built this part of our house. He wants us to help him design a frame with the two parallel studs supplying two sides of the hexagon.

    So we have to figure out how to cut the other four sides and what their dimensions should be if they were all to be the same. We have an 8 foot long board that's 3.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick to use for the sides."

    "Yeah, don't worry, we're doing geometry." said Brandt.

    "Oh, I'm not worried," said Mr. Bachman. "That's a good use for all of the geometry you've learned so far!"

    Thanks to Jan Bolluyt for sending us his collection of geometry problems that people in his community have brought to him from their work and personal projects.
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2 July 1995