๐ What is a Triangle?
A triangle is a shape with three sides and three angles. Think of a slice of pizza or a yield sign โ those are triangles! The word "triangle" even tells you how many angles it has: "tri-" means three!
- ๐ Triangles are closed shapes, meaning all the sides connect.
- ๐ They can be different sizes and shapes โ some are tall and skinny, while others are short and wide.
- ๐งฎ The angles inside a triangle always add up to $180$ degrees.
๐ What is a Quadrilateral?
A quadrilateral is a shape with four sides and four angles. The word "quadrilateral" gives you a hint too: "quad-" means four! Squares, rectangles, and even diamonds are all quadrilaterals.
- ๐ Quadrilaterals are also closed shapes.
- ๐๏ธ They come in many forms, like squares where all sides are equal, and rectangles where opposite sides are equal.
- โ The angles inside a quadrilateral always add up to $360$ degrees.
๐ Triangle vs. Quadrilateral: Side-by-Side
| Feature |
Triangle |
Quadrilateral |
| Number of Sides |
3 |
4 |
| Number of Angles |
3 |
4 |
| Total Degrees of Angles |
$180$ degrees |
$360$ degrees |
| Examples |
Pizza slice, yield sign |
Square, rectangle, diamond |
๐ก Key Takeaways
- โ
The easiest way to remember is by counting the sides. A triangle has "three" sides, and a quadrilateral has "four" sides.
- ๐ง Triangles and quadrilaterals are both closed shapes, but they have different numbers of sides and angles.
- โ The sum of angles differs: a triangle's angles add up to 180ยฐ, while a quadrilateral's add up to 360ยฐ.
- โ๏ธ Now you can identify these shapes anywhere! Keep an eye out for triangles and quadrilaterals in the world around you.