Introduction:

Why do bees make hexagons in their

hives? Why not any other shape? -Aditya,
10, New Delhi, India
Dear Aditya,
When bees make hexagons in their hives, the six-sided shapes fit
together perfectly. In fact, we’ve actually never seen bees make any other
shape. That’s what I found out when I visited my friend Sue Cobey, a bee
researcher at Washington State University.
Cobey showed me some honeycombs where the female bees live and
work. Hexagons are useful shapes. They can hold the queen bee’s eggs
and store the pollen and honey the worker bees bring to the hive.

When you think about it, making circles wouldn’t work too well. It would
leave gaps in the honeycomb. The worker bees could use triangles or
squares for storage. Those wouldn’t leave gaps. But the hexagon is the
strongest, most useful shape.
Don’t just ask the bees. Cobey explained that humans have recently used
math to find out why hexagons make the most sense.
“The geometry of this shape uses the least amount of material to hold the
most weight,” she said.
It takes the bees quite a bit of work to make the honeycomb. The wax
comes from glands on the bees’ bellies, or abdomens. Honeybees have to
make and eat about two tablespoons of honey to make one ounce of wax.
Then they can add this wax to the comb as they build. A bee colony can
produce 100 pounds of honey, Cobey said. In some places they can even
produce 300 to 500 lbs. The structure is important to hold all this weight
and protect the honey, especially during winter.
The hexagon might just save bees some time and energy. They can use
the energy to do another really important job: carry pollen from flower
to flower that allows new plants to grow. It’s my cat instinct to swat at a
bee, but I try not to because bees are really important. They make it
possible for us to eat food.
“The honey bee is an amazing animal, really fun to work with,” Cobey
said. “And she is responsible for pollinating your fruits, vegetables, and
nuts.”
Having a sturdy and useful hive can help bees get the job done.
Not too long ago, some scientists wondered how exactly the bees build
these hexagons. They found certain bees would start out making circles
in the wax using their body as a tool. Scientists don’t really know why it
happens, but the bees seem to be using their body heat to melt the wax
from a circle shape into a hexagon shape.
Hexagons and honeycomb shapes are also useful for building things
humans use, too, like bridges, airplanes, and cars. It gives materials extra
strength.
After all, materials made with hexagon shapes can also handle a lot of
force, even if they are made out of a lighter material. That’s what I
learned from my friend Pizhong Qioa, an engineer and professor at WSU.
“We learned it from the bee,” he said. “Hexagons apply to almost
everything you can build.”
For having never done a day of math homework in their lives, bees sure
seem to use some creative geometry and engineering to build their
headquarters.
Sincerely,
Dr. Universe
Why Are Honeycomb Cells Hexagonal?
by Stacy George, on September 1, 2017

GRADE LEVEL
3-5
MINUTES
1- 2 hrs
SUBJECT
Mathematics
Activity Type:Bees, perimeter, shapes, surface area, volume

Honeybees have evolved over time to skillfully build hexagonal honeycomb cells. Why
might a hexagon be a suitable shape for storing honey? Could other shapes, such as
circles, triangles, or squares, work just as well?

Let’s investigate this question by first making some observations of a honeycomb. We’ll
take a macro, or wide, perspective so we can study the honeycomb’s overall
appearance. Then we’ll zoom in for a micro, or close-up, perspective in order to observe
specific details.
 From a macro perspective, what do you observe about the shape of honeycomb cells?

Shutterstock

From afar, the cells might appear circular, as if they’re built to fit the elongated shape of
a honeybee’s body.

Now let’s take a micro view and zero in on the cells.

 From a micro perspective, what new details about the honeycomb cells did you observe?

Shutterstock

Did you notice the hexagonal shape of the cells?

Scientists use their observations to make sense of the world we live in. When scientists
come across a phenomenon and are puzzled by what they observe, such as the
hexagonal shape of a honeycomb cell, they will often ask questions and try to
understand the phenomenon by forming a “claim.”

You have made several observations of honeycomb cells. Let’s form a claim about the
shape of those cells.

A scientific claim . . .
 answers a scientific question or problem and is usually a statement about, or understanding of,

a phenomenon.
 is always supported by scientific data or “evidence.”

 provides “reasoning,” or a justification, that logically connects the evidence to the claim. It is

usually based on a scientific definition, law, rule, or principle.

 can be revised as more evidence is gathered and/or logical connections are made that support

changes in reasoning.

Created by Xochitl Garcia

We often call the process of developing and explaining a claim “CER,”

for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning.
Why do honeybees use hexagonal shapes to construct their honeycombs?

Drawing from your observations of the honeycomb, use the CER worksheet to make a
claim about why you think that the cells are shaped like hexagons.
See the Educator’s Toolbox for student worksheets and educator resources.
Honeycombs are made from beeswax, a substance created by worker bees. When the
temperature is right, worker bees secrete wax scales from special glands in their body.
Then they chew the wax with a bit of honey and pollen to produce the beeswax. The
hexagonal cells serve as storage vessels for honey, as well as homes to raise young
bees.
Bees secrete wax from special glands in their abdomens. Illustration by Corlette Douglas
Bees must build their honeycomb efficiently.

Illustration by Corlette Douglas

Bees collect nectar and pollen from flowers to make honey, a sugary food, for the
colony. Honey provides bees with the energy they need to survive and reproduce, as
well as to build their homes. In order to make enough wax, worker bees need a lot of
energy, and must therefore consume a lot of honey. Some studies estimate that bees
must consume eight ounces of honey for every ounce of wax they produce. Imagine
how many flowers a bee must visit to be able to convert nectar into eight ounces of
honey!

On average, each bee can produce about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. If a
bee were to provide one pound of honey, it would need to visit about 2 million flowers. A
whole colony may travel about 55,000 miles in its lifetime!
Illustration by Corlette Douglas
 Producing wax is hard work.

What would the proportion of honey consumed to wax produced look like? Measure
water in a graduated cylinder (30 ml = 1 oz) to visualize the ratio.

 Measure out 8 oz of “honey” (water colored to look like honey).

 Measure out 1 oz of “wax” (regular water).

Compare the amount of honey and wax.

Photo by Stacy George

When building a honeycomb, bees must make sure they don’t waste more resources
(wax) or expend more energy (honey) than necessary. This means that they need to
use the least amount of wax possible to construct a comb that can store as much honey
as possible.
 Let’s investigate how different cell shapes might affect the amount of wax and
space used to build a honeycomb.

You will conduct four investigations into how different types of shapes might affect the
amount of wax and space needed to build cells in a honeycomb. Investigations should
be conducted in sequential order, because each one builds upon previous
investigations.

 Honeycomb Cell Shape Investigation

 Sharing Cell Walls Investigation

 Investigating Surface Area of Cell Shapes

 Investigating Volume of Cell Shapes

Honeycomb Cell Shape Investigation

Let’s imagine for a minute that we are worker bees. What would the honeycomb look
like if the cells were different shapes? Using pennies and pattern blocks, or shapes cut
from this template, you will experiment with different geometric shapes to see how well
they would work as honeycomb cells. Try to arrange as many shapes together as
possible with the least amount of wasted space. Remember, honeycomb cells are never
a mixture of multiple shapes, so you can only use one shape at a time.


Materials

— Pennies or circular candies (M&M’s, Skittles, or Bottle Caps)

— Pattern blocks (square, triangle, and hexagon) or shapes cut from the pattern template
— Honeycomb Cell Shape Investigation Worksheet
Let’s start with circle shapes, using pennies or candies.


Step 1

Explore how multiple pieces of the shape fit together using the work mat on your Honeycomb Cell Sh
to one another; leave as few gaps as possible between each shape. Try to stay within the boundaries o


Step 2

Draw what you observe in the box provided on your Honeycomb Cell Shape Investigation Workshe
Your drawing might show fewer shapes than you arranged on your mat. That’s okay! Just do your best


Step 3

Shade in any empty space between the shapes you drew.

Think about the following:

— If bees were to construct honeycomb cells using this shape, what do you suppose they would place
— Is there a way to change the positioning of the shapes so that there is less space between them?


Step 4

On your worksheet, write down detailed observations about the shape you just tried.

Observations could include the following: How do the shapes fit together? What patterns do you see fo


Step 5

Repeat steps 1–4 with squares, triangles, and hexagons. Continue to record any patterns that emerge

 Previous
 Next
Thinking about the investigation:

 Based on your results, which shape appeared to be the worst shape for a honeycomb cell?

Why?

 Shapes can be arranged to form other shapes. As you experimented with each type of shape,

did you form any new ones?

Revisit the claim you wrote on your CER Worksheet. Is there new evidence that you
could add to your CER? Are there any changes you would make to the claim based on
your investigation?
Sharing Cell Walls Investigation

How can you collect mathematical evidence to support or revise your claim?

Illustration by Corlette Douglas

You may have noticed from the previous investigation that arranging circles resulted in
big gaps between each shape. If honeycomb consisted of circles, there would be a lot of
wasted space between cells, and a worker bee would probably have to expend a lot of
energy filling in those gaps with wax.
 Diagram by Xochitl Garcia

Other shapes can be more tightly arranged. There are three shapes you tested that can
be organized so that no gaps appear between them: equilateral triangles, squares, and
hexagons. The reason these shapes pack so well is because they have straight edges
that line up against each other. In other words, these shapes can be positioned to share
walls.

Let’s explore how well different shapes that share walls would work as honeycomb
cells. Using different colored markers and the Sharing Cell Walls Worksheet, you will
investigate which shape can be used to build a honeycomb with the greatest number of
shared cell walls. Note that you’ll be covering an area with the same dimensions for
each shape you investigate.
Materials
 Sharing Cell Walls Worksheet

 Various colored markers (or highlighters or colored pencils)

 Do this activity in a group of three, so each person can work on one shape (triangle,
square, hexagon)!

Step 1

Starting with the square shape, outline the first cell using a colored marker. How many cell walls did yo

Record the number of cell walls in the middle of the cell.



Step 2

Using a different colored marker, outline the next cell. Do not outline any cell walls that you colored in s

Record the number of cell walls you just outlined in the middle of that cell.


Step 3

Continue outlining and counting cell walls until the first row is complete. (Remember to use alternating

Add up the number of cell walls you outlined to complete the first row, and record that number at the e
*For the hexagon, do not record row totals. See step 4.


Step 4

Continue outlining and counting cell walls in subsequent rows until the entire honeycomb is complete.*

*For the hexagon, add up the number of cell walls you outlined to complete each column, and record


Step 5

Add up the cell wall numbers from each row (or column), and record the grand total number of cell wal


Step 6

If you are working independently, repeat steps 1–5 with each remaining shape (triangle and hexagon).

 Previous
 Next
Thinking about the investigation:

Compare your data for each shape.

 Which shape required you to outline the most cell walls?

 Which shape required you to outline the fewest cell walls?

 Did quantifying your data change or support your original claim about why bees might
use hexagons to build their honeycomb cells? Add to (or revise) your original claim on
your CER Worksheet.
Investigating Surface Area Of Cell Shapes

By building honeycomb cells that share walls, bees can better conserve their resources
(wax) and energy (honey). But don’t forget that bees use the combs as storage vessels
for their honey. When bees construct their combs, they need to minimize the space
between cells while maximizing the space available within the cell to store their honey.

Materials
● Exploring Surface Area and Volume of Cell Shapes Worksheet
● Working copy of CER Worksheet


 Find the surface area of each shape.

Using the surface area formulas on the Exploring Surface Area and Volume of Cell Shapes Works
height are each two inches long. Is there a difference in the surface area of the two shapes?

Now, calculate the area of a hexagon.

Reference the observations you made during the Honeycomb Cell Shape Investigation. As you perhap
has a two-inch base and a two-inch height. Record your formula and data for surface area on the work
 Previous
 Next
Thinking about the investigation:

 Which shape had the greatest surface area?

 How could a honeycomb cell with a large surface area benefit a bee?
 Revisit your CER Worksheet and continue to add to (or revise) your claim and/or
evidence.
Investigating Volume Of Cell Shapes

From the area investigation above, you should have found that the hexagon had the
greatest surface area of the shapes you tested. Now let’s explore the volume of different
shapes. We will use cell-shaped prisms to help us with this investigation.

Triangular Prism Template

Materials
 Prism Template

 Exploring Surface Area and Volume of a Honeycomb Cell Worksheet

 Scissors

 Tape
 Sand

 Funnel or old coffee cups with travel lid for pouring sand

 Graduated cylinder

Step 1

Cut out the square prism pattern and the triangular prism pattern from the template. These will serve a


Step 2

Fold each template along the dotted “fold” line, and secure the sides with tape.


Step 3

Tape over one end of each cell so it’s completely covered. You will be pouring sand into the other end


Step 4

Pour sand into the cells until you reach the top.

Quick tip: Use recycled paper coffee cups with travel lids to pour sand into cells.


Step 5

Measure the volume of sand you poured into one cell by transferring the sand into a graduated cylinde
Worksheet. Repeat for the second cell.


Step 6

Find the volume of a hexagon cell using your data from step 5. Record your finding on the worksheet.

Hint: Six triangles form a hexagon.

 Previous
 Next
Thinking about the investigation:

Compare the volume of all your shapes. Which shape would store the most amount of
honey?

Revisit your CER Worksheet and continue to add to (or revise) your claim and/or
evidence.
 Assessment — Revisiting And Revising Your Claim Statement

Revisit the original question at the beginning of this lesson:

Why do honeybees use hexagonal shapes to construct their honeycombs?

Reflect on your findings from the four investigations.

 Which shape was associated with the fewest spaces between shapes?

 Which shape was associated with the most shared walls?

 Which shape had the greatest surface area?

 Which shape had the greatest volume?

Use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C-E-R) method to revise or add to the claim on

your worksheet. Be sure to include data based on your findings from the four different
investigations.

 In the Honeycomb Cell Shape Investigation, what evidence did you gather that helped you

revise or support your claim?

 What evidence did you gather from the Sharing Cell Walls Investigation that helped you revise

or support your claim?

 What evidence did you gather from the Investigating Surface Area of Shapes activity that helped

you revise or support your claim?

 What evidence from the Investigating Volume of Shapes exercise helped you revise or support

your claim?
The Honeycomb Conjecture

In ancient times, a Roman scholar named Marcus Terentius Varro studied his collection
of bees and proposed that the hexagonal structures that honeybees build are more
compact than any other shape. But it was thousands of years later—in 1999, in fact—
that a mathematician at the University of Michigan named Thomas Hales was able to
provide mathematical proof of what is known as the “Honeycomb Conjecture.” Hales
concluded that the more compact the shape of the honeycomb cell was, the less energy
and wax a bee would use to build it, which meant that bees could expend their energy
on other important activities—specifically, foraging and making honey.