Geometry – What are Different Types of Quadrilaterals?
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Quadrilaterals are enclosed figures with four sides.
Quadrilaterals can be divided in half to form two triangles. We already know that all the angles in a triangle add up to 180°. So, if a quadrilateral is divided into two triangles, then it has to measure 2 x 180° = 360°.
A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with two sets of parallel sides. A parallelogram's diagonally opposite angles are equal. Angles on the same side add up to 180°.
A rectangle is a parallelogram with all angles equal to 90°.
A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel sides and two non-parallel sides.
A rhombus is a parallelogram with equal sides and has the same angle properties as any other parallelogram.
A square is a rectangle in which all sides are equal. A square is a type of rectangle, but not all rectangles are squares because some rectangles may not have all sides equal.
To find the area of a rectangle, you multiply the base times the height. In a square or rectangle, the sides are considered either the width or length. The length usually refers to the longer side and the width refers to the shorter one. Since all sides are equal in a square, we simply find the area by using the formula s˛ or side squared.
The area of other quadrilaterals is calculated by multiplying the base times the height but since they may not have right angles, we must find the height first. For example, the area of a parallelogram is base times height but the area of a trapezoid is different because the sides are all different lengths. The area of a trapezoid is ˝ the sum of the top and bottom.
By understanding the basic concepts of quadrilaterals, students will gain a better understanding of geometric principles.
