What is Trapezoid?
A trapezoid, also known as a trapezium, is a flat closed shape having 4 straight sides, with one pair of parallel sides.
The parallel sides of a trapezium are known as the bases, and its non-parallel sides are called legs. A trapezium can also have parallel legs. The parallel sides can be horizontal, vertical or slanting.
The perpendicular distance between the parallel sides is called the altitude.
Examples:
Non-Examples:
Types of trapezoid
Trapezoid is of three types namely
1. Right trapezoid: It has a pair of right angles.
2. Isosceles trapezoid: It has equal length of non-parallel sides. In the image, sides, AD and BC are equal.
3. Scalene trapezoid: It neither has equal angles nor has equal sides.
Properties of a trapezoid
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A trapezoid is a parallelogram if both pairs of its opposite sides are parallel.
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A trapezoid is a square if both pairs of its opposite sides are parallel; all its sides are of equal length and at right angles to each other.
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A trapezoid can be a rectangle if both pairs of its opposite sides are parallel; its opposite sides are of equal length and are at right angles to each other.
Real life Examples
A few out of many trapezoid examples are the face of a popcorn box, handbag, and bridges.
Fun Facts
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