Put These Shapes in Line! Trivia Quiz

A triangle is a shape with three sides. That's why it's called a "tri" angle--because "tri" means three. You can find triangles in many things around us. For example, road signs in the U.S. that tell us to yield or warn us of something ahead can be shaped like triangles. Have you ever seen those little flags at parties or on strings? They're often shaped like triangles and are called pennant flags. Even a sandwich can have triangle shapes if you cut it from one corner to the opposite corner.

A rectangle has four sides. It's a special shape because its opposite sides are the same length and its corners are all right angles, like the corners of a book. There are lots of things we see every day that are shaped like rectangles. Think about a piece of paper--it's a rectangle! So are the screens of most TVs and computers. Picture frames and doors are often rectangle-shaped too. And don't forget about windows.

They can be rectangles as well. So, rectangles have four sides and are found in many things we use and see in our world!

A pentagon is a shape that has five sides. The prefix "penta-" means five, so that's why it's called a pentagon. Have you ever seen a home plate in baseball? It's shaped like a pentagon! Some kinds of road signs in the U.S. have pentagon shapes too, especially when they want to tell us about a school zone.

A hexagon is a shape with six sides. The prefix "hexa-" means six, so a hexagon has six sides. You can find hexagons in some really neat stuff. Honeycomb cells, where bees make honey, are shaped like hexagons. Some nuts and bolts that hold things together also have hexagon shapes.

The prefix "hepta-" means seven, so you can probably guess how many sides a heptagon has. Some coins have heptagon shapes, like the 50-cent coin in some places. Maybe you've seen a seven-sided gemstone. That's a heptagon too! It's not as common as other shapes, but it's still pretty cool. So, remember, a heptagon has seven sides, and you might spot it in special things like coins and gems!

An octagon is a shape with eight sides. The prefix "octo-" means eight, and we use it in other words like octopus, which has eight tentacles. A stop sign a famous example of an octagon. If you look at a big clock on a wall, the part that holds the clock face might be an octagon. And did you know that some cookies and crackers are also made in the shape of octagons?

A nonagon is a shape with nine sides. The prefix "nona-" means nine, which is similar in spelling, so you can try to remember it that way. Even though we don't see nonagons as often as other shapes, there are some cool things that have this shape. Some ancient buildings and monuments have nonagon-like designs. You might also spot nonagon shapes in certain decorative patterns or in artwork.

A decagon is a shape with ten sides. The prefix "deca-" means ten. You can see it in the word decade, which means ten years. You might not see decagons all the time, but there are some neat things that have this shape. Some windows in fancy buildings or houses might have decagon shapes. Sometimes tables can be shaped like decagons so that ten people can sit at them.

A hendecagon is a shape with eleven sides. The prefix "hendeca-" means eleven. You can even see the word part "deca-," which means ten, in this word. It's a bit unusual and not as common as shapes with fewer sides, but there are some interesting things that can have this shape. You might see it in someone's art or as a decoration in someone's house.

A dodecagon is a shape with twelve sides. The prefix "dodeca-" means twelve, which is why we call it a dodecagon. Sometimes, you might find dodecagon shapes in decorations, like on fancy plates or tiles. Ancient buildings or designs from long ago might also use dodecagons in their patterns. Some countries' coins are also shaped like dodecagons instead of circles.