What is a Pentagon, and What are Some Real-World Examples?

Most of you are familiar with some of the fundamental geometric shapes that surround us, such as squares, pyramids, rectangles, circles, and others. But are you aware that the name alters as the number of edges increases? One of those intriguing shapes is the Pentagon.

What is a Pentagon?

“A pentagon is a five-sided polygon: it has one more side than a square.” ¹ On a flat surface, you can connect straight lines at different angles to form a pentagon. The word is derived from a Greek term that designates a shape with five distinct sides, where penta stands for five and gon for angle. Pentagons are typical geometric shapes that architects use to design houses, other structures, and buildings, and there are various examples of pentagons in nature. To fully grasp how to apply shapes in geometry in practical settings, it is essential to have a solid understanding of shapes. 

Examples Of The Pentagon In Real Life

Architecture

Architects frequently use pentagons as a geometric shape when designing homes, structures, and buildings. Numerous structures and infrastructures are pentagon-shaped. One of the most well-known pentagon structures in the real world is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, the Pentagon building.², ¹

The Home Plate of Baseball

Baseball’s home plate is an asymmetrical pentagon with two parallel sides, each perpendicular to a base.²,³

Sections on a Soccer Ball

One or more pentagon- and hexagon-shaped pieces are stitched together to form a football or soccer ball. Observe the dark areas of a soccer ball for an example of how pentagons are used.²,³

Crossing Signs for Schools

Signboards erected along highways improve driving safety, and pentagon-shaped sign boards are frequently used to indicate school zones or the beginning of country routes.²,³

Starfish

The majority of starfish are either pentagon-shaped or have five-fold radial symmetry.⁴

Teabags 

Each tea bag has five sides and five corners, making tea bags a good example of a pentagon-shaped object in daily life.²

Okra

The next time you prepare or consume fried okra, examine a slice of the vegetable. It has a pentagonal shape.⁵

Flowers

Nature provides flowers in a variety of shapes, including pentagonal flowers. Some flowers serve as a timeless illustration of the pentagon-shaped objects that surround us. For instance, the flower petals of the Platycodon grandiflorus (balloon flower) naturally form a pentagon shape.

You can read more articles on math and the real world examples of angles, triangles, algorithms, applications of sets, calculus, algebra, computational math, and so much more on BYJU’s FutureSchool Blog.

References:

1. Pentagon – Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pentagon 
2. What is a real life example of a pentagon? (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://faq-ans.com/en/Q%26A/page=14c7c8d55a98dd17d5f7fb5bf4ce6e58 
3. What are Examples of Geometric Shapes in Real Life? (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://examples.yourdictionary.com/what-are-examples-of-geometric-shapes.html 
4. The five-pointed star conforms to the real starfish’s shape. Line h,… | Download Scientific Diagram. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-five-pointed-star-conforms-to-the-real-starfishs-shape-Line-h-the-distance-between_fig6_221750005 
5. Pentagonal cross section of okra : Mindfulness | by Anwesh Pokkuluri | Medium. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://medium.com/@anweshpokkuluri/pentagonal-cross-section-of-okra-mindfulness-5c40667f669