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How to Tessellate With Hexagons

Objects that tessellate can be placed side-by-side on a plane surface with no gaps left between them. The word comes from a Latin word, tessera, meaning a square. The plural version, tesserae, is the name given to the tiny tiles used in mosaics. Hexagons are one of a small group of shapes that tessellate perfectly; they do not leave gaps that require filling by other shape tiles. Tessellating hexagons is a straightforward task.

Things You'll Need

Hexagons of identical size

Instructions

- 1
  Place a single hexagon on a flat surface with sufficient space around it to allow the additional of more hexagons.
- 2
  Place additional hexagons around the first hexagon, aligning each against one of the 6 sides of the original hexagon. The resultant shape looks similar to a honeycomb with half-hexagon indentations around the outer edges.
- 3
  Add more hexagons to fill the half-hexagon spaces left around the outer edges. Continue to add additional hexagons until the desired number have been added. The result is a group of linked hexagons with no gaps between them.

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