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Questions and Answers
What is the defining characteristic of a square?
Which of the following is not a type of quadrilateral mentioned in the text?
What is the formula for calculating the area of a rectangle?
Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a rhombus?
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What is a common subcategory of rectangles mentioned in the text?
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What is the defining characteristic of a parallelogram?
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Study Notes
Quadrilaterals
A quadrilateral is any closed plane figure made up of four straight sides and four right angles. Quadrilaterals are among the most common geometric shapes found in nature and are used extensively in architecture, engineering, and other fields where accurate measurements are essential. There are several types of quadrilateral figures, including squares, rectangles, rhombuses, and trapezoids.
Types of Quadrilaterals
Square
A square is a special type of rectangle where all four sides are equal in length. Squares also have only one type of interior angle, which is 90 degrees. All square corners touch each other when drawn on graph paper. The area of a square can be calculated by multiplying the side length by itself.
Rectangle
A rectangle is another special case of a quadrilateral with four right angles. It has opposite sides that are parallel and sides of equal length. The area of a rectangle can also be calculated by multiplying the side lengths together. Some common subcategories of rectangles are:
- Square: A square is a specific type of rectangle where all four sides are equal.
- Rectangle with right angles: This has opposite sides that are parallel and sides of equal length.
- Parallelogram: Two pairs of opposite sides are parallel to each other but not necessarily of equal length.
Rhombus
A rhombus is another special case of quadrilateral with four congruent sides, which means they have the same length. Its opposite sides are parallel and its opposite angles are congruent (equal). A scale drawing of a rhombus can be used to learn about symmetry. Points on opposite sides of the center line of the figure are symmetrical and will look identical when reflected across this line.
Trapezoid
This type of quadrilateral has one pair of parallel sides, leaving two sets of nonparallel sides. Their exterior angles add up to 360 degrees. Another way to tell if a trapezoid is drawn correctly is to connect the end points of both diagonal lines to make sure the shape is closed.
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Description
Learn about the characteristics of various quadrilateral shapes such as squares, rectangles, rhombuses, and trapezoids. Discover their unique features, properties, and how to calculate their areas. Explore the types of angles and sides that define each type of quadrilateral.
