why are bolts and nuts designed hexagonal mostly?

Answer 1

suppose you have a square four sided nut and the angle to turn the nut is limited, how are you going to turn it so that when you switch the face you are able to align the wrench to the other face? By having more sides allows you to turn the nut even in a tight confined space. You can turn the nut on a smaller arc and still have enough space to align the wrench for the next turn.

Answer 2

A socket wrench with six faces can fit loosely over a hexagonal bolt head or nut (they vary slightly in size) and still grip and exert considerable torque without slipping. If there were more faces slippage would be more likely (like using a metric wrench closest to the fractional inch). A square headed bolt or nut is even less likely to slip but the wrench must rotate 90 degrees to obtain a new purchase. This may not be a problem if there is nothing present to obstruct the wrench handle. Notice that socket wrenches with ratcheted handles often have 12 "faces" to turn a hexagonal nut so that it can be placed over the nut in confined spaces and turned just about one twelfth of a turn each ratchet.

Answer 3

With hexagonal nut u will be having more corners to apply with torque than a square for a particular size in octagonal u will not have sufficient area to apply torque

Answer 4

For easy turning in tight spaces. The wrench does not need to turn as far to get a bite on the nut.

Answer 5

To standardize the tools needed to applythe maximum force. The fewer the sides, the more torque you can apply. A three sides head would be best, but limits the tools you can use to work with it.. 8 sided seems to be the most efficient, and still having the best torque.

Answer 6

The geometric shape of a hexagon allows you to apply more torque.

Answer 7

The better to grip you with you nut.

Answer 8

Elvin has the answer dead on. Anyone who has worked on any thing mechanical knows what he is talking about.

Answer 9

for better grip