You are a hexagon, which itself is a polygon with six vertices (a.k.a. Corners in mathematician-speak) and six sides. If you're having trouble picturing one, think of the Star of David. The shape at the centre of this star is a hexagon.
Though you're probably most familiar with the standard hexagon - the one that's shaped something like a sharp-cornered circle - the word actually applies to any and all six-sided shapes that have six defined corners. Besides the standard hexagon, the two best defined hexagonal shapes are the concave hexagon and the self-intersecting hexagon, both of which, for lack of a better comparison, resemble the nose of a cat. Meow.
Hexagons are described as being either regular or irregular; the examples above are all considered regular hexagons as their six sides are all equal. A hexagon with unequal sides is considered to be irregular. Incomplete shapes (ones with spaces in their outlines) don't count as hexagons regardless of how many sides and corners they might boast.
Because of how efficiently the hexagon makes use of space, it is often seen in many natural structures. Doubtlessly, you'll have seen it patterned onto the back of a turtle, or knit into an intricate web of honeycomb.
There's a slight trick to knowing your polygons, though it does require you to understand a little bit of Greek. See, polygonal shapes are named for the number of sides they have, and these names are derived from the Greek language. In this case, hex (or sex, but this spelling is never used in geometry) is the Greek word for "six," so the six-plus-six of your question equals "hexagon." Other common polygons include pentagon (derived from five, "pente"), heptagon (derived from seven, "hept"), and octagon (derived from eight, "octo").
Of course there's more to hexagons than the above. Consider this a starting point if you're interested in learning more about them!
Though you're probably most familiar with the standard hexagon - the one that's shaped something like a sharp-cornered circle - the word actually applies to any and all six-sided shapes that have six defined corners. Besides the standard hexagon, the two best defined hexagonal shapes are the concave hexagon and the self-intersecting hexagon, both of which, for lack of a better comparison, resemble the nose of a cat. Meow.
Hexagons are described as being either regular or irregular; the examples above are all considered regular hexagons as their six sides are all equal. A hexagon with unequal sides is considered to be irregular. Incomplete shapes (ones with spaces in their outlines) don't count as hexagons regardless of how many sides and corners they might boast.
Because of how efficiently the hexagon makes use of space, it is often seen in many natural structures. Doubtlessly, you'll have seen it patterned onto the back of a turtle, or knit into an intricate web of honeycomb.
There's a slight trick to knowing your polygons, though it does require you to understand a little bit of Greek. See, polygonal shapes are named for the number of sides they have, and these names are derived from the Greek language. In this case, hex (or sex, but this spelling is never used in geometry) is the Greek word for "six," so the six-plus-six of your question equals "hexagon." Other common polygons include pentagon (derived from five, "pente"), heptagon (derived from seven, "hept"), and octagon (derived from eight, "octo").
Of course there's more to hexagons than the above. Consider this a starting point if you're interested in learning more about them!
