Drawing Angles
Do you want to learn faster and more easily?
Basics on the topic Drawing Angles
Drawing Angles – A Comprehensive Guide
If you are after a guide explaining how to draw angles, you are in the right place. In this text, you will learn about drawing different angles with a protractor. We will present you with some guided practice on how to do that, and then will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about drawing angles. Feel free to check out our drawing angles with a protractor worksheet to consolidate your skills.
Types of Angles
Before looking further into drawing and measuring angles, it’s crucial to familiarise yourself with the different types of angles.
Acute Angles
Acute angles are small, sharp angles that are less than 90 degrees. When drawing, they appear narrow and pointed.
Obtuse Angles
With measures between 90 and 180 degrees, obtuse angles are wider and open.
Right Angles
At precisely 90 degrees, right angles form a perfect corner, often observed in squares and rectangles.
Straight Angles
The easiest angle to draw, straight angles line up flatly, measuring exactly 180 degrees.
Reflex Angles
These angles are larger than 180 degrees but less than 360, creating a sort of 'loop'.
Full Angles
A complete circle or 360 degrees, full angles are seldom used but essential to know.
Tools for Drawing Angles
It is impossible to draw angles accurately without precision tools. Let’s review what to draw angles with.
protractors: This semicircular tool is indispensable for measuring and drawing angles. Place it on the angle's vertex, align it properly, and you can read the angle's measure. Below we will see how to draw angles with a protractor.
compasses: Compasses assist in drawing angles and circles with precision, making them an invaluable tool for creating accurate angles and bisectors.
Drawing Angles – Guided Practice
Let’s have a look at how to measure and draw angles.
1. Identifying the Angle – before even picking up your pencil and protractor, identify what angle you will need to draw, follow this table to quickly remind yourself what angle you will have to draw:
| Degrees | Type of Angle |
|---|---|
| 1–89 | acute angle |
| 90 | right angle |
| 91–179 | obtuse angle |
| 180 | straight angle |
| 181–359 | reflex angle |
| 360 | full angle |
2. Drawing the First Side – now that you have identified roughly how your angle will look, draw the first side of the angle. The easiest way is to draw one horizontal line.
3. Using the protractor – pick up the protractor and place it on the angle's vertex. You should be able to read the numbers that are written on the protractor. Align the baseline of your protractor and the first side of your angle and you can read the angle's measure.
If you are drawing an acute angle, find the number representing the needed degrees, which should be below 90. Place a dot next to the necessary number.
4. Drawing the Second Side – remove the protractor and pick up a ruler. You will need to connect the vertex of the angle and the dot you have left on paper after using the protractor. Draw a straight line between these points. And here you are, you are done with drawing your angle!
5. Check – the final step in drawing angles using a protractor is to make sure that the angle you drew actually looks like the one you needed to draw.
Remember that acute angles are pointy, whilst obtuse are broad.
Drawing Angles – Conclusion
Drawing angles is a fundamental skill in geometry, essential for various applications and fields. With knowledge of the types of angles, the right tools and ample practice, anyone can master this invaluable skill.
| Step | What To Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Identify the angle |
| 2 | Draw the first side |
| 3 | Use the protractor |
| 4 | Draw the second side |
| 5 | Check |
For more on drawing angles KS2, have a look at our drawing angles worksheet, drawing angles activities and drawing angles problem solving exercises.
Drawing Angles – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript Drawing Angles
Nico and Nia are playing golf. Nico is working out the angle he needs to hit the ball in order to get a hole in one. If he understands the angles, he can get the perfect putt. “Drawing Angles” A protractor is the tool we use to make angles. The baseline helps draw straight lines and line up the angles. The inner and outer scales are what we use to measure the degrees. REMEMBER, we use the set of numbers on the scale that are facing the SAME DIRECTION as our angle opening. Let’s see how we can help Nico use the protractor to draw the angle as he lines up his putt. If he putts a one hundred and eighty degree straight angle through the tunnel, he will make this shot. First, he'll use the tunnel as the MIDDLE of the angle and make a dot here for the VERTEX. Next, he'll use the straight edge to draw a LINE SEGMENT from the vertex to the ball and from the vertex to the hole. Nico swings and HOLE IN ONE! WE DID IT!
This next course is challenging because he must hit the ball off the statue to go into the hole. Using the statue as the point where the line segments meet, let’s help Nico draw this angle. What should we do first? First, we’ll make a dot to represent the vertex. Then we need to line up the vertex and the ball. Draw a line segment to connect these two points. Now line this up with the zero on the OUTER SCALE of the protractor. Follow the outer scale until it intersects with the hole. How many degrees is this angle?
This angle is ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN degrees. Make a dot at this point just above the protractor. Move the protractor so the straight edge lines up from the vertex to the mark made at one hundred and fifteen degrees. Draw a line segment to connect these two points. If Nico follows our angle, he will make the hole in one! YES!
This next hole looks like a right angle. Let's draw it to see if it is ninety degrees. "We'll use the pinwheel as the vertex. First, make a dot here" Using the straight edge, draw a line segment from the vertex to the ball. Now we will line up with the zero on the outer scale. What do we need to do next?
We follow the outer scale until it intersects with the hole. Here, we make a dot above the protractor at NINETY degrees. Now we return to the straight edge and line it up from the vertex to this point. We'll draw a straight line to connect. Did we make a right angle?
Nico's putt follows the right angle and he has DONE it again!
The last hole of the game is a thirty-degree angle. Let’s draw it so Nico knows what to do. "The tower of the castle is where the two line segments meet, so we’ll draw the dot there to show the vertex." Draw the line segment from the vertex to the ball. What should we do next?
Place the baseline along this line segment where it lines up with zero. On the outer scale, look for thirty degrees Place a mark at the thirty-degree point because this is where the hole intersects. Then we’ll use the straight edge to connect these points. Remember, we can use a protractor to draw angles. First, make a vertex and use the straight edge to draw a line. Then, place the centre of the baseline on the vertex and line up with zero. "Next, find the given measurement along the proper scale and mark that spot." Finally, use the straight edge to connect the vertex to the measured spot.
Nico scored a perfect game by drawing angles to figure out how he should hit the ball!
Drawing Angles exercise
-
How do you draw an angle?
HintsWe need to draw a baseline before we can draw the angle.
Look at the picture. The baseline has been drawn, what happens next?
Solution- First, make a vertex and use the straight edge to draw a line.
- Then, place the centre of the baseline on the vertex and line it up with zero.
- Next, find the given measurement along the proper scale and mark that spot.
- Finally, use the straight edge to connect the vertex to the measurement spot.
-
Will Nico make the shot?
HintsHas Nico found the correct spot on the protractor to draw the angle?
Does the angle line up with the hole (not the top of the flag)? If it doesn't, the angle must be incorrect.
SolutionHere are the correct angles.
- The first angle and the third angle Nico drew were correct.
- He lined up the protractor and marked the correct spot needed.
- The second angle and the fourth angle Nico drew were incorrect.
- The spots he marked on the protractor were not the correct ones to make the hole, meaning the ball rolled past.
-
Can you match the angles?
HintsOne line is drawn along the baseline. Look at the number where the other line crosses the protractor.
The angle being drawn here is 70°.
Solution- The first angle drawn was 90°. We can see the line pass through the 90° mark on the protractor. It is a right angle.
- The second angle drawn was 180°. We can see the line pass through the 180° mark on the protractor.
- The third angle drawn was 30°. We can see the line pass through the 30° mark on the protractor.
- The fourth angle drawn was 110°. We can see the line pass through the 110° mark on the protractor.
-
Can you label these angles correctly?
HintsIs the zero on the baseline? If it is, then look at which mark on the protractor the line goes through. This is the angle.
Read the number on the curved edge of the protractor where the line passes through.
Sometimes it might be halfway between two numbers. For example, the angle drawn here is 55° as the line passed through the 55 mark on the protractor.
SolutionHere are the angles.
Each angle:
- Had zero lined up on the baseline.
- Had a mark made at the given measurement on the curved edge of the protractor.
- Had the line drawn through that mark using the straight edge of the protractor.
-
Where should Nico draw the line?
HintsWhich number are we looking for on the protractor? What angle does Nico need to make the hole in one?
Look for the given angle starting from zero, where the tee is.
The dotted line shows the angle Nico needs to make.
SolutionNico needed to make a 35° angle to get the ball in the hole, so 35° needed highlighting on the protractor.
If we were drawing this angle, this is where we would make a mark before using the baseline edge to draw the line.
-
Nia's Golf Course.
HintsWhich part of the protractor do you use to draw a line?
Which number does the line pass through to get to the hole?
SolutionNia decided there would be a tree obstacle in the first hole. To draw the angle, she needs to first make a vertex by the obstacle and use the straight edge of the protractor to draw a line from it to the starting tee.
Nia then looked to see where the hole is. She knew she had to make a mark next to the number that lined up with the hole.
Nia then used the straight edge of the protractor to draw a line from the vertex at the tree to the hole.
The players on this hole will need to make a shot with an angle of 120° to get a hole in one!
