Classifying

Quadrilaterals

“…geometric shapes are the

alphabet in which the book of
nature is written." -Galileo
Objectives
 Make distinct definitions of what
parallelograms, kites, rectangles,
squares, rhombus, and trapezoids are.
 Sort and classify quadrilaterals.
 Determine which shapes are and are
not quadrilaterals, given examples.
 Designate the best name for a given
quadrilateral, given examples.
 Construct a flow chart.
 What is a Quadrilateral?

 A quadrilateral is a two-dimensional figure formed

by connecting four segments endpoint to endpoint
with each segment intersecting exactly two
others. It also has four sides and four angles.
What is a Quadrilateral?

 Look around you, do you

see shapes that could be
termed a quadrilateral?
 Take about two minutes
to draw five different
shapes that you think
could be classified as a
quadrilateral.
Types of Quadrilaterals

 Trapezoid
 Parallelogram
 Square
 Rectangle
 Kite, Dart
 Rhombus
 Rectangle
 Classification of Quadrilaterals
 A concave
quadrilateral
contains at least one
angle that is >180o.
 A quadrilateral is
convex if each
vertex lies in the
interior of the
opposite angle.
Name that Quadrilateral!

 A square is a
quadrilateral with
all sides and
angles equal.
 If all quadrilaterals
have 360o total,
what is the angle
of each vertex in
a square?
 Name that Quadrilateral!

 A quadrilateral with
all angles equal is a
rectangle.

 A quadrilateral with
all sides equal is a
rhombus.
 Name that Quadrilateral!

 A quadrilateral with at least one pair of

parallel sides is a trapezoid.
 Name that Quadrilateral!

 A quadrilateral with both

pairs of opposite sides
parallel and equal in
length is known as a
parallelogram.

 Parallelograms can be considered special cases

of trapezoids, since they have a least one pair
of parallel sides.
Name that Quadrilateral!
 A quadrilateral with
two separate pairs
of equal adjacent
sides is commonly
called a kite.
 However, if the kite
is concave, a dart
is a more
appropriate term.
 Are They Quadrilaterals?

A
B C

 Examples of shapes or curves that are

not classified as quadrilaterals. They do
not follow the definition of a quadrilateral.
Can you give a reason why?
Put the Information to Use…

 Given the information in the preceding

slides, construct a flow chart of the
different shapes.
 You should begin with the definition of a
quadrilateral, and work your way down
the chart.
 A tree diagram would be the best
method for constructing the chart.