{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T20:27:20+00:00","modifiedTime":"2020-10-15T21:28:14+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:17:51+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Academics & The Arts","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33662"},"slug":"academics-the-arts","categoryId":33662},{"name":"Math","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33720"},"slug":"math","categoryId":33720},{"name":"Geometry","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33725"},"slug":"geometry","categoryId":33725}],"title":"Identifying the Seven Quadrilaterals","strippedTitle":"identifying the seven quadrilaterals","slug":"identifying-the-seven-quadrilaterals","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides. There are seven quadrilaterals, some that are surely familiar to you, and some that may not be so familiar. Check ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides. There are seven quadrilaterals, some that are surely familiar to you, and some that may not be so familiar. Check out the following definitions and the quadrilateral family tree in the following figure.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/270046.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"388\" height=\"400\" />\r\n\r\nIf you know what the quadrilaterals look like, their definitions should make sense and be pretty easy to understand (though the kite definition is a bit of a mouthful). Here are the seven quadrilaterals:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Kite:</b> A quadrilateral in which two disjoint pairs of consecutive sides are congruent (“disjoint pairs” means that one side can’t be used in both pairs)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b><a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/math/geometry/properties-of-parallelograms\">Parallelogram</a>: </b>A quadrilateral that has two pairs of parallel sides</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rhombus: </b>A quadrilateral with four congruent sides; a rhombus is both a kite and a parallelogram</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rectangle: </b>A quadrilateral with four right angles; a rectangle is a type of parallelogram</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Square:</b> A quadrilateral with four congruent sides and four right angles; a square is both a rhombus and a rectangle</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trapezoid: </b>A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides (the parallel sides are called <i>bases</i>)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Isosceles trapezoid: </b>A trapezoid in which the nonparallel sides (the <i>legs</i>) are congruent</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIn the hierarchy of quadrilaterals shown in the above figure, a quadrilateral below another on the family tree is a special case of the one above it. A rectangle, for example, is a special case of a parallelogram. Thus, you can say that a rectangle is a parallelogram but not that a parallelogram is a rectangle (a parallelogram is only sometimes a rectangle).","description":"A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides. There are seven quadrilaterals, some that are surely familiar to you, and some that may not be so familiar. Check out the following definitions and the quadrilateral family tree in the following figure.\r\n\r\n<img src=\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/270046.image0.jpg\" alt=\"image0.jpg\" width=\"388\" height=\"400\" />\r\n\r\nIf you know what the quadrilaterals look like, their definitions should make sense and be pretty easy to understand (though the kite definition is a bit of a mouthful). Here are the seven quadrilaterals:\r\n<ul class=\"level-one\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Kite:</b> A quadrilateral in which two disjoint pairs of consecutive sides are congruent (“disjoint pairs” means that one side can’t be used in both pairs)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b><a href=\"https://www.dummies.com/education/math/geometry/properties-of-parallelograms\">Parallelogram</a>: </b>A quadrilateral that has two pairs of parallel sides</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rhombus: </b>A quadrilateral with four congruent sides; a rhombus is both a kite and a parallelogram</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Rectangle: </b>A quadrilateral with four right angles; a rectangle is a type of parallelogram</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Square:</b> A quadrilateral with four congruent sides and four right angles; a square is both a rhombus and a rectangle</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Trapezoid: </b>A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides (the parallel sides are called <i>bases</i>)</p>\r\n</li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p class=\"first-para\"><b>Isosceles trapezoid: </b>A trapezoid in which the nonparallel sides (the <i>legs</i>) are congruent</p>\r\n</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIn the hierarchy of quadrilaterals shown in the above figure, a quadrilateral below another on the family tree is a special case of the one above it. A rectangle, for example, is a special case of a parallelogram. Thus, you can say that a rectangle is a parallelogram but not that a parallelogram is a rectangle (a parallelogram is only sometimes a rectangle).","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":8957,"name":"Mark Ryan","slug":"mark-ryan","description":" <p><b>Mark Ryan</b> has taught pre-algebra through calculus for more than 25 years. In 1997, he founded The Math Center in Winnetka, Illinois, where he teaches junior high and high school mathematics courses as well as standardized test prep classes. He also does extensive one-on-one tutoring. He is a member of the Authors Guild and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 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Identifying the Seven Quadrilaterals

By: Mark Ryan and

Updated: 10-15-2020

Geometry Essentials For Dummies

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A quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides. There are seven quadrilaterals, some that are surely familiar to you, and some that may not be so familiar. Check out the following definitions and the quadrilateral family tree in the following figure.

If you know what the quadrilaterals look like, their definitions should make sense and be pretty easy to understand (though the kite definition is a bit of a mouthful). Here are the seven quadrilaterals:

Kite: A quadrilateral in which two disjoint pairs of consecutive sides are congruent (“disjoint pairs” means that one side can’t be used in both pairs)
Parallelogram: A quadrilateral that has two pairs of parallel sides
Rhombus: A quadrilateral with four congruent sides; a rhombus is both a kite and a parallelogram
Rectangle: A quadrilateral with four right angles; a rectangle is a type of parallelogram
Square: A quadrilateral with four congruent sides and four right angles; a square is both a rhombus and a rectangle
Trapezoid: A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides (the parallel sides are called bases)
Isosceles trapezoid: A trapezoid in which the nonparallel sides (the legs) are congruent

In the hierarchy of quadrilaterals shown in the above figure, a quadrilateral below another on the family tree is a special case of the one above it. A rectangle, for example, is a special case of a parallelogram. Thus, you can say that a rectangle is a parallelogram but not that a parallelogram is a rectangle (a parallelogram is only sometimes a rectangle).

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