Basic Shapes Math Example 2

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 2

medium
A triangle has 3 sides. A pentagon has 5 sides. How many more sides does a pentagon have than a triangle, and how many corners does each shape have?

Solution

  1. 1
    Step 1: Identify the number of sides — triangle: 3, pentagon: 5.
  2. 2
    Step 2: Find the difference in sides: 5−3=25 - 3 = 2 more sides.
  3. 3
    Step 3: For any polygon, the number of corners equals the number of sides. Triangle: 3 corners; pentagon: 5 corners.
  4. 4
    Step 4: Confirm by sketching both shapes and counting where sides meet.

Answer

A pentagon has 2 more sides than a triangle. A triangle has 3 corners; a pentagon has 5 corners.
In any closed 2D polygon the number of corners always equals the number of sides, because each side connects two corners and the figure closes on itself.

About Basic Shapes

Closed two-dimensional figures with specific properties like sides, angles, and corners that define their shape.

Learn more about Basic Shapes →

More Basic Shapes Examples

Example 1 easy

How many sides and corners does a rectangle have?

Example 3 easy

Which shape has exactly 3 sides: square, triangle, or hexagon?

Example 4 hard

A shape has 6 equal sides and 6 equal corners. What is it called, and what is the sum of all its int

← All Basic Shapes Examples Basic Shapes Concept