๐ What is a Parallelogram?
A parallelogram is a four-sided shape (a quadrilateral) where both pairs of opposite sides are parallel and equal in length. Think of it like a pushed-over rectangle! ๐ค
- โก๏ธ Opposite sides are parallel (they never meet, like train tracks).
- ๐ Opposite sides are equal in length.
- โฌ๏ธ Opposite angles are equal.
๐ What is a Rectangle?
A rectangle is also a four-sided shape (a quadrilateral) where opposite sides are parallel and equal, and all four angles are right angles (90 degrees). ๐
- โก๏ธ Opposite sides are parallel.
- ๐ Opposite sides are equal in length.
- ๐ All four angles are right angles (90ยฐ).
๐ Parallelogram vs. Rectangle: The Comparison
| Feature |
Parallelogram |
Rectangle |
| Opposite Sides Parallel |
โ
Yes |
โ
Yes |
| Opposite Sides Equal |
โ
Yes |
โ
Yes |
| All Angles Right Angles (90ยฐ) |
โ Not always |
โ
Yes |
| Diagonals Equal |
โ Not always |
โ
Yes |
๐ Key Takeaways
- โ๏ธ All rectangles are parallelograms, but not all parallelograms are rectangles. A rectangle is a special type of parallelogram!
- ๐ก The biggest difference is the angles: rectangles must have four right angles.
- โ๏ธ If a parallelogram has even ONE right angle, then it's automatically a rectangle!