Quadrilaterals

Quadrilateral just means "four sides"

(quad means four, lateral means side).
A Quadrilateral has four-sides, it is 2-dimensional(a flat shape), closed (the lines join up), and
hasstraight sides.
Properties
A quadrilateral has:
four sides (edges)
four vertices (corners)
interior angles that add to 360 degrees:

Try drawing a quadrilateral, and measure the angles. They should add to 360°

Types of Quadrilaterals
There are special types of quadrilateral:

Some types are also included in the definition of other types! For example
a square, rhombus and rectangle are also parallelograms.
The Rectangle
A rectangle is a four-sided shape where every angle is a right angle (90°).
Also opposite sides are parallel and of equal length.
The Square
A square has equal sides (marked "s") and every angle is a right angle (90°)
Also opposite sides are parallel.
A square also fits the definition of a rectangle (all angles are 90°), and a rhombus (all sides are
equal length).
The Rhombus
A rhombus is a four-sided shape where all sides have equal length (marked "s").
Also opposite sides are parallel and opposite angles are equal.

Another interesting thing is that the diagonals (dashed lines) meet in the middle at a right angle. In
other words they "bisect" (cut in half) each other at right angles.
A rhombus is sometimes called a rhomb or a diamond.
The Parallelogram

A parallelogram has opposite sides parallel and equal in length. Also opposite angles are equal
(angles "A" are the same, and angles "B" are the same).
NOTE: Squares, Rectangles and Rhombuses are all Parallelograms!
Example:

A parallelogram with:
all sides equal and
angles "A" and "B" as right angles
is a square!

The Trapezoid (UK: Trapezium)

 Trapezoid Isosceles Trapezoid
A trapezoid (called a trapezium in the UK) has a pair of opposite sides parallel.
And a trapezium (called a trapezoid in the UK) is a quadrilateral with NO parallel sides:
Trapezoid Trapezium
In the US: a pair of parallel sides NO parallel sides

In the UK: NO parallel sides a pair of parallel sides

(the US and UK definitions are swapped over!)
An Isosceles trapezoid, as shown above, has left and right sides of equal length that join to the base
at equal angles.
The Kite

Hey, it looks like a kite (usually).

It has two pairs of sides:
Each pair is made of two equal-length sides that join up.
Also:
the angles where the two pairs meet are equal.
the diagonals, shown as dashed lines above, meet at a right angle.
one of the diagonals bisects (cuts equally in half) the other.

... and that's it for the special quadrilaterals.

Irregular Quadrilaterals
The only regular (all sides equal and all angles equal) quadrilateral is a square. So all other
quadrilaterals are irregular.

The "Family Tree" Chart

Quadrilateral definitions are inclusive.
Example: a square is also a rectangle.
So we include a square in the definition of a rectangle.
(We don't say "Having all 90° angles makes it a rectangle except when all sides are equal then it is
a square.")
This may seem odd, as in daily life we think of a square as not being a rectangle ... but in
mathematics it is.
Using the chart below we can answer such questions as:
Is a Square a type of Rectangle? (Yes)
Is a Rectangle a type of Kite? (No)

Complex Quadrilaterals
Oh Yes! when two sides cross over, we call it a "Complex" or "Self-Intersecting" quadrilateral, like
these:

They still have 4 sides, but two sides cross over.

Quadrilaterals

Learning Objective(s)
Identify properties, including angle measurements, of quadrilaterals.

Introduction
Quadrilaterals are a special type of polygon. As with triangles and other polygons, quadrilaterals
have special properties and can be classified by characteristics of their angles and sides.
Understanding the properties of different quadrilaterals can help you in solving problems that
involve this type of polygon.

Defining a Quadrilateral

Picking apart the name “quadrilateral” helps you understand what it refers to. The prefix “quad-”
means “four,” and “lateral” is derived from the Latin word for “side.” So a quadrilateral is a four-
sided polygon.

Since it is a polygon, you know that it is a two-dimensional figure made up of straight sides. A
quadrilateral also has four angles formed by its four sides. Below are some examples of
quadrilaterals. Notice that each figure has four straight sides and four angles.

Interior Angles of a Quadrilateral

The sum of the interior angles of any quadrilateral is 360°. Consider the two examples below.

You could draw many quadrilaterals such as these and carefully measure the four angles. You
would find that for every quadrilateral, the sum of the interior angles will always be 360°.

You can also use your knowledge of triangles as a way to understand why the sum of the interior
angles of any quadrilateral is 360°. Any quadrilateral can be divided into two triangles as shown in
the images below.

In the first image, the quadrilaterals have each been divided into two triangles. The angle
measurements of one triangle are shown for each.
These measurements add up to 180º. Now look at the measurements for the other triangles—they
also add up to 180º!

Since the sum of the interior angles of any triangle is 180° and there are two triangles in a
quadrilateral, the sum of the angles for each quadrilateral is 360°.

Specific Types of Quadrilaterals

Let’s start by examining the group of quadrilaterals that have two pairs of parallel sides. These
quadrilaterals are called parallelograms They take a variety of shapes, but one classic example is
shown below.

Imagine extending the pairs of opposite sides. They would never intersect because they are parallel.
Notice, also, that the opposite angles of a parallelogram are congruent, as are the opposite sides.
(Remember that “congruent” means “the same size.”) The geometric symbol for congruent is , so
you can write and . The parallel sides are also the same
length: and . These relationships are true for all parallelograms.

There are two special cases of parallelograms that will be familiar to you from your earliest
experiences with geometric shapes. The first special case is called a rectangle. By definition, a
rectangle is a parallelogram because its pairs of opposite sides are parallel. A rectangle also has the
special characteristic that all of its angles are right angles; all four of its angles are congruent.
The other special case of a parallelogram is a special type of rectangle, a square. A square is one of
the most basic geometric shapes. It is a special case of a parallelogram that has four congruent sides
and four right angles.

A square is also a rectangle because it has two sets of parallel sides and four right angles. A square
is also a parallelogram because its opposite sides are parallel. So, a square can be classified in any
of these three ways, with “parallelogram” being the least specific description and “square,” the
most descriptive.

Another quadrilateral that you might see is called a rhombus. All four sides of a rhombus are
congruent. Its properties include that each pair of opposite sides is parallel, also making it a
parallelogram.

In summary, all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. All rectangles are
parallelograms, but not all parallelograms are rectangles. And all of these shapes are quadrilaterals.

The diagram below illustrates the relationship between the different types of quadrilaterals.
You can use the properties of parallelograms to solve problems. Consider the example that follows.

Example
Problem Determine the measures of and .

is opposite Identify opposite angles.

is opposite
A property of
parallelograms is that
opposite angles are
congruent.

= 60°, so = 60° Use the given angle

measurements to
= 120°, so = 120°
determine measures of
opposite angles.
Answer = 60° and = 120°

Trapezoids
There is another special type of quadrilateral. This quadrilateral has the property of having only
one pair of opposite sides that are parallel. Here is one example of a trapezoid.
Quadrilaterals Properties |
Parallelograms, Trapezium, Rhombus
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In this tutorial on basic geometry concepts, we cover the types and properties of
quadrilaterals: Parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, trapezium.
Definition:

A quadrilateral is a simple closed figure with four sides.

Types of quadrilaterals
There are five types of quadrilaterals.
 Parallelogram
 Rectangle
 Square
 Rhombus
 Trapezium
One common property of all quadrilaterals is that the sum of all their angles
equals 360°.
Let us look into the properties of different quadrilaterals.

Parallelogram

Properties of a parallelogram
 Opposite sides are parallel and congruent.
 Opposite angles are congruent.
 Adjacent angles are supplementary.
 Diagonals bisect each other and each diagonal divides the parallelogram into
two congruent triangles.
 If one of the angles of a parallelogram is a right angle then all other angles
are right and it becomes a rectangle.
Important formulas of parallelograms
 Area = L * H
 Perimeter = 2(L+B)

Rectangles
Properties of a Rectangle
 Opposite sides are parallel and congruent.
 All angles are right.
 The diagonals are congruent and bisect each other (divide each other
equally).
 Opposite angles formed at the point where diagonals meet are congruent.
 A rectangle is a special type of parallelogram whose angles are right.
Important formulas for rectangles
 If the length is L and breadth is B, then
Length of the diagonal of a rectangle = √(L2 + B2)
 Area = L * B
 Perimeter = 2(L+B)

Squares

Properties of a square
 All sides and angles are congruent.
 Opposite sides are parallel to each other.
 The diagonals are congruent.
 The diagonals are perpendicular to and bisect each other.
 A square is a special type of parallelogram whose all angles and sides are
equal.
 Also, a parallelogram becomes a square when the diagonals are equal and
right bisectors of each other.
Important formulas for Squares
 If ‘L’ is the length of the side of a square then length of the diagonal = L √2.
 Area = L2.
 Perimeter = 4L

Rhombus

Properties of a Rhombus
 All sides are congruent.
 Opposite angles are congruent.
 The diagonals are perpendicular to and bisect each other.
 Adjacent angles are supplementary (For eg., ∠A + ∠B = 180°).
 A rhombus is a parallelogram whose diagonals are perpendicular to each
other.
Important formulas for a Rhombus
If a and b are the lengths of the diagonals of a rhombus,
 Area = (a* b) / 2
 Perimeter = 4L

Trapezium
Properties of a Trapezium
 The bases of the trapezium are parallel to each other (MN ⫽ OP).
 No sides, angles and diagonals are congruent.
Important Formulas for a Trapezium
 Area = (1/2) h (L+L2)
 Perimeter = L + L1 + L2 + L3

Summary of properties
Summarizing what we have learnt so far for easy reference and remembrance:

S.No. Property Parallelogram Rectangle

1 All sides are congruent ✕ ✕

2 Opposite sides are parallel and congruent ✓ ✓

3 All angles are congruent ✕ ✓

4 Opposite angles are congruent ✓ ✓

5 Diagonals are congruent ✕ ✓

6 Diagonals are perpendicular ✕ ✕

7 Diagonals bisect each other ✓ ✓

8 Adjacent angles are supplementary ✓ ✓

Continue learning more about:

– Properties of Lines and Angles
– Properties and formulas of Circles
– Types of Triangles and Properties

Notice that , and that and are not parallel. You can easily imagine that if you
extended sides and , they would intersect above the figure.
If the non-parallel sides of a trapezoid are congruent, the trapezoid is called an isosceles trapezoid.
Like the similarly named triangle that has two sides of equal length, the isosceles trapezoid has a
pair of opposite sides of equal length. The other pair of opposite sides is parallel. Below is an
example of an isosceles trapezoid.

In this trapezoid ABCD, and .

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Some trapezoids are parallelograms.

B) All trapezoids are quadrilaterals.
C) All rectangles are squares.
D) A shape cannot be a parallelogram and a quadrilateral.

Show/Hide Answer

You can use the properties of quadrilaterals to solve problems involving trapezoids. Consider the
example below.

Example
Problem Find the measure of .

= 360° The sum of the

measures of the
interior angles of a
quadrilateral is 360°.

= 90° The square symbol

indicates a right
= 90°
angle.

60° + + 90° + 90° = 360° Since three of the

four angle measures
 are given, you can
find the fourth angle
measurement.

+ 240° = 360° Calculate the

measurement
= 120°
of .

From the image, you

can see that it is an
obtuse angle, so its
measure must be
greater than 90°.
Answer = 120°

The table below summarizes the special types of quadrilaterals and some of their properties.

Name of
Quadrilateral Description
Quadrilateral

2 pairs of parallel
sides.
Parallelogram
Opposite sides and
opposite angles are
congruent.

2 pairs of parallel
sides.

4 right angles (90°).

Rectangle Opposite sides are

parallel and
congruent.

All angles are

congruent.

4 congruent sides.

4 right angles (90°).

Square Opposite sides are

parallel.

All angles are

congruent.

Only one pair of

Trapezoid opposite sides is
parallel.
Summary
A quadrilateral is a mathematical name for a four-sided polygon. Parallelograms, squares,
rectangles, and trapezoids are all examples of quadrilaterals. These quadrilaterals earn their
distinction based on their properties, including the number of pairs of parallel sides they have and
their angle and side measurements.
There are many different kinds of quadrilaterals, but all have several things in common: all of them
have four sides, are coplanar, have two diagonals, and the sum of their four interior angles equals
360 degrees. This is how they are alike, but what makes them different?

We know many quadrilaterals by their special shapes and properties, like squares. Remember, if
you see the word quadrilateral, it does not necessarily mean a figure with special properties like a
square or rectangle! In word problems, be careful not to assume that a quadrilateral has parallel
sides or equal sides unless that is stated.
Special Quadrilaterals

A parallelogram has two parallel pairs of opposite sides.

A rectangle has two pairs of opposite sides parallel, and

four right angles. It is also a parallelogram, since it has
two pairs of parallel sides.
A square has two pairs of parallel sides, four right
angles, and all four sides are equal. It is also a rectangle
and a parallelogram.
A rhombus is defined as a parallelogram with four equal
sides. Is a rhombus always a rectangle? No, because a
rhombus does not have to have 4 right angles.
Trapezoids only have one pair of parallel sides. It's a
type of quadrilateral that is not a parallelogram. (British
name: Trapezium)

Kites have two pairs of adjacent sides that are equal.

We can use a Venn diagram to help us group the types of quadrilaterals.

A Venn diagram uses overlapping circles to show relationships between groups of objects. All
"quadrilaterals" can be separated into three sub-groups: general quadrilaterals, parallelograms and
trapezoids.
Is a rectangle always a rhombus? No, because all four sides of a rectangle don't have to be equal.
However, the sets of rectangles and rhombuses do intersect, and their intersection is the set of
squares—all squares are both a rectangle and a rhombus.
We can put squares in the intersection of the two circles.
From this diagram, you can see that a square is a quadrilateral, a parallelogram, a rectangle, and a
rhombus!
Is a trapezoid a parallelogram? No, because a trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides. That is
why we must show the set of trapezoids in a separate circle on the Venn diagram.
What about kites? Kites are quadrilaterals that can be parallelograms. If their two pairs of sides are
equal, it becomes a rhombus, and if their angles are equal, it becomes a square.
Quadrilaterals Properties | Parallelograms, Trapezium, Rhombus

In this tutorial on basic geometry concepts, we cover the types and properties of quadrilaterals:
Parallelogram, rectangle, square, rhombus, trapezium.
Definition:
A quadrilateral is a simple closed figure with four sides.
Types of quadrilaterals
There are five types of quadrilaterals.
Parallelogram
Rectangle
Square
Rhombus
Trapezium
One common property of all quadrilaterals is that the sum of all their angles equals 360°.
Let us look into the properties of different quadrilaterals.

Parallelogram

Properties of a parallelogram
Opposite sides are parallel and congruent.
Opposite angles are congruent.
Adjacent angles are supplementary.
Diagonals bisect each other and each diagonal divides the parallelogram into two congruent
triangles.
If one of the angles of a parallelogram is a right angle then all other angles are right and it becomes
a rectangle.
Important formulas of parallelograms
Area = L * H
Perimeter = 2(L+B)

Rectangles

Properties of a Rectangle
Opposite sides are parallel and congruent.
All angles are right.
The diagonals are congruent and bisect each other (divide each other equally).
Opposite angles formed at the point where diagonals meet are congruent.
A rectangle is a special type of parallelogram whose angles are right.
Important formulas for rectangles
If the length is L and breadth is B, then
Length of the diagonal of a rectangle = √(L2 + B2)
Area = L * B
Perimeter = 2(L+B)

Squares

Properties of a square
All sides and angles are congruent.
Opposite sides are parallel to each other.
The diagonals are congruent.
The diagonals are perpendicular to and bisect each other.
A square is a special type of parallelogram whose all angles and sides are equal.
Also, a parallelogram becomes a square when the diagonals are equal and right bisectors of each
other.
Important formulas for Squares
If ‘L’ is the length of the side of a square then length of the diagonal = L √2.
Area = L2.
Perimeter = 4L

Rhombus

Properties of a Rhombus
All sides are congruent.
Opposite angles are congruent.
The diagonals are perpendicular to and bisect each other.
Adjacent angles are supplementary (For eg., ∠A + ∠B = 180°).
A rhombus is a parallelogram whose diagonals are perpendicular to each other.
Important formulas for a Rhombus
If a and b are the lengths of the diagonals of a rhombus,
Area = (a* b) / 2
 Perimeter = 4L

Trapezium

Properties of a Trapezium
The bases of the trapezium are parallel to each other (MN ⫽ OP).
No sides, angles and diagonals are congruent.
Important Formulas for a Trapezium
Area = (1/2) h (L+L2)
Perimeter = L + L1 + L2 + L3
Summary of properties
Summarizing what we have learnt so far for easy reference and remembrance:
S.No. Property Parallelogram Rectangle Rhombus Square

1 All sides are congruent ✕ ✕ ✓ ✓

Opposite sides are parallel and

2 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
congruent

3 All angles are congruent ✕ ✓ ✕ ✓

4 Opposite angles are congruent ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

5 Diagonals are congruent ✕ ✓ ✕ ✓

6 Diagonals are perpendicular ✕ ✕ ✓ ✓

7 Diagonals bisect each other ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

8 Adjacent angles are supplementary ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓