Quadrilaterals - Fifth Grade
Complete Notes & Formulas
What is a Quadrilateral?
A quadrilateral is a polygon with 4 sides, 4 angles, and 4 vertices (corners).
Important Quadrilateral Properties
1. Four Sides: Every quadrilateral has exactly 4 sides
2. Four Angles: Every quadrilateral has exactly 4 angles
3. Four Vertices: Four corner points where sides meet
4. Closed Shape: All sides connect to form a closed figure
Most Important Formula
Sum of All Angles in a Quadrilateral = 360°
∠A + ∠B + ∠C + ∠D = 360°
1. Parallel Sides in Quadrilaterals
What are Parallel Sides?
Parallel sides are sides that never meet, no matter how far they are extended. They are always the same distance apart.
Types Based on Parallel Sides
Number of Parallel Sides | Type of Quadrilateral |
---|---|
No parallel sides | Kite (or irregular quadrilateral) |
One pair of parallel sides | Trapezoid |
Two pairs of parallel sides | Parallelogram (includes rectangle, rhombus, square) |
Symbol for Parallel: ||
Example: AB || CD means side AB is parallel to side CD
2. Identify Parallelograms
What is a Parallelogram?
A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with TWO pairs of opposite sides that are parallel.
Properties of a Parallelogram
1. Opposite sides are parallel
AB || CD and BC || AD
2. Opposite sides are equal in length
AB = CD and BC = AD
3. Opposite angles are equal
∠A = ∠C and ∠B = ∠D
4. Adjacent angles are supplementary
∠A + ∠B = 180°
5. Diagonals bisect each other
They cut each other in half at the midpoint
Formulas
Perimeter = 2(a + b)
where a and b are the lengths of two adjacent sides
Area = base × height
How to Identify
Look for: Both pairs of opposite sides are parallel AND equal
3. Identify Trapezoids
What is a Trapezoid?
A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with EXACTLY ONE pair of opposite sides that are parallel.
Special Terms
Bases: The two parallel sides
Legs: The two non-parallel sides
Height: Perpendicular distance between the bases
Types of Trapezoids
Isosceles Trapezoid: Two legs are equal in length, and base angles are equal
Right Trapezoid: Has two adjacent right angles (90°)
Scalene Trapezoid: All four sides have different lengths
Formulas
Area = ½ × (base₁ + base₂) × height
A = ½ × (b₁ + b₂) × h
How to Identify
Look for: Only ONE pair of parallel sides (not two pairs)
4. Identify Rectangles
What is a Rectangle?
A rectangle is a parallelogram with all four angles equal to 90° (right angles).
Properties of a Rectangle
1. All four angles are 90° (right angles)
2. Opposite sides are parallel
3. Opposite sides are equal in length
4. Diagonals are equal in length
5. Diagonals bisect each other
6. Has 2 lines of symmetry
Formulas
Perimeter = 2(length + width)
P = 2(l + w)
Area = length × width
A = l × w
How to Identify
Look for: Four right angles (90° each) - look for the square corner symbol!
5. Identify Rhombuses
What is a Rhombus?
A rhombus is a parallelogram with all four sides equal in length.
Properties of a Rhombus
1. All four sides are equal in length
2. Opposite sides are parallel
3. Opposite angles are equal
4. Diagonals bisect each other at right angles (90°)
5. Diagonals bisect the vertex angles
6. Has 2 lines of symmetry (along the diagonals)
Formulas
Perimeter = 4 × side
P = 4s
Area = ½ × d₁ × d₂
where d₁ and d₂ are the diagonals
How to Identify
Look for: All four sides are equal (like a "tilted square")
Special Quadrilateral: Square
What is a Square?
A square is a rectangle AND a rhombus at the same time! It has all four sides equal AND all four angles equal to 90°.
Properties of a Square
1. All four sides are equal in length
2. All four angles are 90°
3. Opposite sides are parallel
4. Diagonals are equal in length
5. Diagonals bisect each other at 90°
6. Has 4 lines of symmetry
Formulas
Perimeter = 4 × side
P = 4s
Area = side × side
A = s²
6-7. Classify Quadrilaterals & Pick All Names
Multiple Names for One Shape
Many quadrilaterals can have MORE THAN ONE NAME because they fit into multiple categories!
Complete Classification Chart
Shape | All Possible Names |
---|---|
Square | Quadrilateral, Parallelogram, Rectangle, Rhombus, Square |
Rectangle | Quadrilateral, Parallelogram, Rectangle |
Rhombus | Quadrilateral, Parallelogram, Rhombus, Kite |
Parallelogram | Quadrilateral, Parallelogram, Trapezoid |
Trapezoid | Quadrilateral, Trapezoid |
Kite | Quadrilateral, Kite |
Important Facts
• A square is ALWAYS a rectangle (has 4 right angles)
• A square is ALWAYS a rhombus (has 4 equal sides)
• A rectangle is NOT always a square (sides may not be equal)
• A rhombus is NOT always a square (angles may not be 90°)
• All parallelograms are trapezoids (have at least 1 pair of parallel sides)
9-10. Quadrilateral Relationships & Hierarchy
The Quadrilateral Family Tree
Quadrilaterals form a hierarchy (family tree) where some shapes are special cases of others.
Hierarchy Diagram
QUADRILATERAL
|
├─── KITE (no parallel sides)
│ └─── RHOMBUS (all sides equal)
│
├─── TRAPEZOID (1 pair parallel)
│ └─── Isosceles Trapezoid
│
└─── PARALLELOGRAM (2 pairs parallel)
├─── RECTANGLE (4 right angles)
│ └─── SQUARE
│
└─── RHOMBUS (4 equal sides)
└─── SQUARE
Relationship Rules
1. Moving Down = More Specific
A square has MORE properties than a rectangle
2. Moving Up = More General
All shapes below are included in shapes above
3. Special Cases
Square is a special rectangle (with equal sides)
Square is a special rhombus (with right angles)
True or False Relationships
Statement | True/False |
---|---|
All squares are rectangles | TRUE ✓ |
All rectangles are squares | FALSE ✗ |
All squares are rhombuses | TRUE ✓ |
All rhombuses are squares | FALSE ✗ |
All parallelograms are quadrilaterals | TRUE ✓ |
All trapezoids are parallelograms | FALSE ✗ |
8. Draw Quadrilaterals
Steps to Draw Different Quadrilaterals
To Draw a Square:
1. Draw 4 sides of equal length
2. Make sure all corners are 90° (right angles)
3. Use a ruler and protractor for accuracy
To Draw a Rectangle:
1. Draw 2 pairs of opposite equal sides (length ≠ width)
2. Make sure all corners are 90°
3. Opposite sides must be parallel
To Draw a Rhombus:
1. Draw 4 sides of equal length
2. Opposite sides must be parallel
3. Angles do NOT need to be 90° (like a tilted square)
To Draw a Trapezoid:
1. Draw two parallel sides (bases)
2. Connect them with two non-parallel sides
3. Only one pair should be parallel
Quick Reference: Properties Comparison
Property | Trapezoid | Parallelogram | Rectangle | Rhombus | Square |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parallel sides | 1 pair | 2 pairs | 2 pairs | 2 pairs | 2 pairs |
All sides equal | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
All angles 90° | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Diagonals equal | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
💡 Important Tips to Remember
✓ All quadrilateral angles always add up to 360°
✓ Parallel lines never meet (use || symbol)
✓ A square is both a rectangle AND a rhombus
✓ All rectangles have 4 right angles (90°)
✓ All rhombuses have 4 equal sides
✓ Trapezoids have exactly ONE pair of parallel sides
✓ Parallelograms have TWO pairs of parallel sides
✓ Opposite sides in a parallelogram are equal
✓ A shape can have multiple names at the same time
✓ Use tick marks (') to show equal sides on diagrams
🧠 Memory Tricks
Parallelogram:
"Para-llel" - has parallel sides!
Rectangle:
"Rect-angle" - has right (90°) angles!
Rhombus:
"Diamond shape" - all sides equal, like a baseball diamond!
Trapezoid:
"Trap has ONE way out" - only ONE pair of parallel sides!
Square:
"Square meal" - everything is EQUAL and RIGHT!
Parallel Sides Count:
• Kite: 0 pairs
• Trapezoid: 1 pair
• Parallelogram: 2 pairs
Master Quadrilaterals! ▭ ◇ ⬜
Four-sided shapes are everywhere - learn to identify and classify them!