What is a Quadrilateral?
A quadrilateral is a four-sided polygon with four angles. The sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral is always 360 degrees. Quadrilaterals can be classified based on their sides and angles.
Types of Quadrilaterals
- Parallelogram: Opposite sides are parallel and equal. Opposite angles are equal.
- Rectangle: A type of parallelogram with all angles equal to 90 degrees.
- Square: A rectangle with all sides equal. It is also a parallelogram and rhombus.
- Rhombus: All sides are equal, but angles are not necessarily 90 degrees. Opposite angles are equal.
- Trapezium (Trapezoid in some regions): Only one pair of opposite sides is parallel.
- Kite: Two pairs of adjacent sides are equal. The diagonals intersect at right angles.
Tree of Quadrilaterals
The tree of quadrilaterals visually represents the classification of quadrilaterals based on their properties:
- Quadrilaterals
- Parallelograms
- Rectangle
- Rhombus
- Square
- Trapezium
- Kite
Key Properties
- The sum of angles in a quadrilateral = 360 degrees.
- Diagonals of a rectangle and square are equal.
- The diagonals of a rhombus bisect each other at right angles.
Understanding the various types of quadrilaterals and their properties is essential in geometry, as they form the foundation for many complex shapes and theorems.