Answer:
the area of the hexagon is approx. 187.1 in²
Explanation:
Picture this regular polygon as being a hexagon made up of six equilateral triangles of side 12 in. We find the area of one such triangle and then multiply that by 6 to obtain the total area of the hexagon.
One such equilateral triangle has three sides all of length 12 in, and all the interior angles are 60°. The height of one such triangle is
h = (12 in)sin 60°, or
√3
h = (12 in) -------- = 6√3 in
2
So, with base 12 in and height 6√3 in, the area of one such equilateral triangle is
A = (1/2)(12 in)(6√3 in) = 36√3 in²
and the total area of the hexagon is 6(36)√3 in², or approx. 187.1 in²