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Area of A Regular Pentagon - A Simple Derivation Without Using Trigonometry and The Golden Ratio

This article is based on the use of "golden ratio" 'phi' = 1.618........ and the use of Heron's formula for area of a triangle , to derive easily the area of a regular pentagon. This method--" Srinivasan method"--- is based on the author's previous article on construction of a Pentagon without using a compass or protractor pub in scribd.com. This method is easy to use for high school students. The derivation does not use trigonometric relations, but uses only Heron's formula for area of a triangle. It is also shown how the area of the central triangle is golden ratio x area of side triangles of a pentagon.

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Dr Srinivasan Nenmeli -K
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412 views5 pages

Area of A Regular Pentagon - A Simple Derivation Without Using Trigonometry and The Golden Ratio

This article is based on the use of "golden ratio" 'phi' = 1.618........ and the use of Heron's formula for area of a triangle , to derive easily the area of a regular pentagon. This method--" Srinivasan method"--- is based on the author's previous article on construction of a Pentagon without using a compass or protractor pub in scribd.com. This method is easy to use for high school students. The derivation does not use trigonometric relations, but uses only Heron's formula for area of a triangle. It is also shown how the area of the central triangle is golden ratio x area of side triangles of a pentagon.

Uploaded by

Dr Srinivasan Nenmeli -K
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Area

of a Regular Pentagon--a simple


derivation with Golden Ratio
Nenmeli K Srinivasan Ph D
Introduction
The derivation of the area formula for a regular
pentagon is difficult and involves several angular
relationships using trigonometry. In this article , I
present a simple method based on my earlier article on
"How to construct a pentagon without using a compass or
protractor?" {www.scribd.com]

The "Srinivasan method"
This method is based on the fact that if 'a' is the side
of a regular pentagon, its diagonal
d = a
where is the 'golden ratio' = 1.618.....
This method also uses "the Heron's formula" for the area
of a triangle:
Area of a triangle = sqrt[s (s-a)(s-b)(s-c)]

where a, b and c are the sides of a triangle and


s= semiperimeter = (a + b + c)/2.
Consider a regular pentagon ,marked ABCDE.[See Figure
below]

The area of regular pentagon is the sum of the areas of


the three triangles: ABC , ACD and ADE.
Let the area of ABC and ADE be called A1.
Let the area of ACD be called A2.
Total area A = 2 A1 + A2.
Computation of area A1
Let the side of the pentagon be "a".
Using Heron's formula:
semiperimeter s1 = [AB + BC + AC]/2 =( a+a + a)/2

s1 = a(2 + 1.618)/2 = 1.809 a


Area A1 = sqrt[s1 (s1-a)(s1-a)(s1-a)]=
= (s1-a)sqrt[ s1 (s1-1.618a)]
= 0.809 a x 0.5878 a = 0.475537 a2
Computation of Area A2:
semiperimeter s2 = [AC + AD + CD]/2 = [ 2 a + a]/2
s2= 2.118 a
Area A2 = sqrt[ s2 (s2-a)(s2-a) (s2-a)]
= (s2-a)sqrt[s2(s2-a)]
= 0.5 a x 1.53881a
= 0.7694 a2
Total area A = 2A1 + A2 ~ 1.720474 a2
Note that the golden ratio is taken as 1.618 in this
note.
Greater accuracy for the area of a regular pentagon can
be obtained by taking further decimal places for the
golden ratio.
The "Wikipedia" article gives the area ~ 1.720477401 a2
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ratio of area A2 to area A1:


It is interesting to note that that ratio of area A2 to
area A1 is the GOLDEN RATIO: phi= 1.618....
Area A2/ Area A1 = 0.769415 /0.475524 = 1.618036....
The aesthetic appeal of regular pentagon can be
exhibited by drawing the three triangles as illustrated
earlier.


Viviani Theorem Extended
Vincenzo Viviani (1622-1703) , a secretary of Galileo
and a student of Torricelli, gave a beautiful theorem:
Consider an equilateral triangle ABC. Locate an
arbitrary point P inside the triangle. Join PA,PB and
PC.
Find the distance of perpendiculars from P to the three
sides, say d,e and f.
Viviani thoereom states that the sum of these distances:
d+e+f = h , the altitude of the triangle.
Proof: It is easy to prove this theorem;

The area of the triangle = (1/2)h.s where s is the side


of the triangle.
From the three smaller triangles APB,APC and BPC, we get
area= (1/2)s [d+e+f} = (1/2)h s
or d+e+f = h.
Extending this theorem to a regular pentagon, if
f,g,h,i,j are the five perpendicular distances from P
[any point inside the pentagon] to the sides, we get
f+g+h+i+j = 2 x 1.7205 s
= 3.441 s
The sum of the distances from any point to the sides is
equal to 3.441 x side of the pentagon.
The reader is encouraged to find applications of this
theorem for pentagons!
------------------------------------------------------

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