A pentagon is a five-sided shape where the sides are equal in length. It can be a useful shape in prop making; it can also serve as the basis for a five-sided star. It may be difficult to lay out with standard drafting tools, but with the method below, you can draw one with just a compass and a straight-edge.
Start
off with a circle of a size that will perfectly fit your pentagon; that is, each corner of your pentagon will touch the outside of your circle.
1
figure 1
In my circle, I have drawn two perpendicular lines which run through the center point O. Where they cross the circle, I have labeled A, X, Y and Z (A will be the top point of the pentagon, so place it accordingly). *I have bisected line OY to find point M; that is, M is exactly halfway between O and Y.*
figure 2
Put the point
of the compass on M and extend it so the pencil touches A. Draw an arc that crosses line XO; we will call this intersection “R”.