How to construct a regular hexagon given one side. The construction starts by finding the center of the hexagon, then drawing its circumcircle, which is the circle that passes through each vertex. The compass then steps around the circle marking off each side.

Printable step-by-step instructions

The above animation is available as a printable step-by-step instruction sheet, which can be used for making handouts or when a computer is not available.

Explanation of method

This construction is very similar to Constructing a hexagon inscribed in a circle, except we are not given the circle, but one of the sides instead. Steps 1-3 are there to draw this circle, and from then on the constructions are the same.

The center of the circle is found using the fact that the radius of a regular hexagon (distance from the center to a vertex) is equal to the length of each side. See Definition of a Hexagon.

Try it yourself

Constructions pages on this site

Lines

• Introduction to constructions
• List of printable constructions worksheets
• Copy a line segment
• Perpendicular bisector of a line segment
• Perpendicular from a line at a point
• Perpendicular from a line through a point
• Perpendicular from endpoint of a ray
• Divide a segment into n equal parts
• Parallel line through a point (angle copy method)
• Parallel line through a point (rhombus method)

Angles

• Bisecting an angle
• Copy an angle
• Construct a 30° angle
• Construct a 45° angle
• Construct a 60° angle
• Construct a 90° angle (right angle)
• Constructing  75°  105°  120°  135°  150° angles and more

Triangles

• Copy a triangle
• Isosceles triangle, given base and side
• Isosceles triangle, given base and altitude
• Equilateral triangle
• Triangle medians
• 30-60-90 triangle, given the hypotenuse
• Triangle, given 3 sides (sss)
• Triangle, given one side and adjacent angles (asa)
• Triangle, given two sides and included angle (sas)
• Incircle of a triangle
• Circumcircle of a triangle

Triangle Centers

• Triangle incenter
• Triangle circumcenter
• Triangle orthocenter
• Triangle centroid

Circles, Arcs and Ellipses

• Finding the center of a circle
• Circle given 3 points
• Tangent at a point on the circle
• Tangents through an external point
• Focus points of a given ellipse

Polygons

• Hexagongiven one side
• Hexagon inscribed in a given circle
• Pentagon inscribed in a given circle

Non-Euclidean constructions

• Construct an ellipse with string and pins
• Find the center of a circle with any right-angled object