Download A tessellation is

Tessellations
A tessellation is _a repeating pattern of figures that completely covers a plane without
gaps or overlaps._____________________________________________________
Tessellations can be created with __translations______________,
_______rotations__________, and _____reflections________________.
You can find tessellations in:
art
nature
real life
Because the figures in a tessellation cannot overlap or leave gaps, the sum of the
measures of the angles around any vertex must be __360_____. If the angles around a
vertex are all congruent then the measure of each angle must be a ___factor of 360___.
Note: Every triangle and quadrilateral will tessellate.
Ex. Explain why equilateral triangles will tessellate in the plane.
Each angle of an equilateral triangle is 60. Since 60 is a factor of 360, the
triangle will tessellate.
Ex. Will regular pentagons tessellate? Explain.
No. The measure of each angle of a regular pentagon is 108. Since 360/108 is
not a whole number, regular pentagons do not tessellate.
Ex. Use the figure to create a tessellation on the dot grid
Tessellations
Creating Tessellations
1. Cut out the square below.
2. Draw a curve joining two consecutive vertices
3. Cut along the curve you drew and slide the cutout piece to
the opposite side of the square.
4. Tape it in place.
5. Repeat this process using the other two opposite sides of
the square.
6. Use your imagination. What does the new figure look like?
7. Draw the image on your figure.
8. Create a tessellation using your figure.
9. Cover your entire paper with the tessellation.