Year 6 Maths: Properties of a Quadrilateral

What is a Quadrilateral?

A quadrilateral is a shape with four sides. The word “quadrilateral” comes from two parts: “quad” meaning four and “lateral” meaning sides. Examples of quadrilaterals include squares, rectangles, trapeziums, rhombuses, and parallelograms.

Key Properties of Quadrilaterals

1. Number of Sides: A quadrilateral has 4 sides.
2. Number of Angles: It has 4 angles.
3. Sum of Angles: The sum of all angles in a quadrilateral is always 360 degrees.
4. Types of Quadrilaterals:
   • Square: All sides are equal, and all angles are right angles (90 degrees).
   • Rectangle: Opposite sides are equal, and all angles are right angles.
   • Rhombus: All sides are equal, but the angles can be different (not all 90 degrees).
   • Parallelogram: Opposite sides are equal, and opposite angles are equal.
   • Trapezium: Only one pair of opposite sides is parallel.

Visualising Quadrilaterals

To help you remember the properties of quadrilaterals, here are some tips:

• Draw the shapes: Visualising the shapes helps you understand their properties better.
• Use everyday objects: Look around you! Many items like tables and books have quadrilateral shapes.
• Remember the angles: A quick way to remember that the angles add up to 360 degrees is to think of a rectangle (which is a type of quadrilateral). Each angle is 90 degrees, and with 4 angles, you have 4 × 90 = 360 degrees.

Questions to Test Your Knowledge

Easy Level Questions

1. How many sides does a quadrilateral have?
2. What is the sum of the angles in a quadrilateral?
3. Name one type of quadrilateral.
4. What shape is a square?
5. Is a rectangle a quadrilateral? (Yes/No)
6. Are all sides of a rhombus equal? (Yes/No)
7. How many angles does a quadrilateral have?
8. True or False: A trapezium has two pairs of parallel sides.
9. What do we call a quadrilateral with no equal sides?
10. Can a quadrilateral have one right angle? (Yes/No)
11. What shape has opposite sides equal and all angles right?
12. True or False: A square can also be called a rectangle.
13. What do you call a quadrilateral with two pairs of equal sides?
14. How many degrees are in one angle of a square?
15. What is special about a parallelogram’s opposite sides?
16. Is a kite a type of quadrilateral? (Yes/No)
17. What name is given to a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides?
18. Can a quadrilateral be curved? (Yes/No)
19. How many sides does a rectangle have?
20. What shape has all sides equal and two pairs of equal angles?

Medium Level Questions

1. Calculate the missing angle in a quadrilateral if the other three angles are 90°, 80°, and 150°.
2. How many lines of symmetry does a square have?
3. Name a quadrilateral that has exactly one pair of parallel sides.
4. If a rhombus has a perimeter of 20 cm, what is the length of each side?
5. True or False: A rectangle can be a square.
6. What is the difference between a rhombus and a rectangle?
7. If one angle of a parallelogram is 70°, what are the other three angles?
8. How many diagonals does a quadrilateral have?
9. Is it possible for a quadrilateral to have all angles greater than 90°? (Yes/No)
10. Name a quadrilateral with no right angles.
11. What is the sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral?
12. Can a trapezium have equal sides? (Yes/No)
13. What property do opposite angles of a parallelogram have?
14. How many pairs of parallel sides does a rectangle have?
15. What shape is formed by connecting the midpoints of the sides of a quadrilateral?
16. Describe how you can tell if a quadrilateral is a square.
17. How many vertices does a quadrilateral have?
18. If a quadrilateral has angles of 70°, 110°, and 80°, what is the fourth angle?
19. What do we call a quadrilateral where all sides are of different lengths?
20. Can a quadrilateral have three right angles? (Yes/No)

Hard Level Questions

1. A quadrilateral has angles measuring 90°, 95°, and 85°. Calculate the fourth angle.
2. Prove that the sum of the interior angles of any quadrilateral is 360°.
3. If a parallelogram has one angle of 60°, what are the measures of the other three angles?
4. A square has a side length of 5 cm. What is its perimeter?
5. Find the area of a rectangle with a length of 10 cm and a width of 4 cm.
6. Is it possible to have a quadrilateral with two obtuse and two acute angles? Explain.
7. If the sides of a rhombus are 6 cm each, what is its perimeter?
8. Derive the formula for the area of a square.
9. How many diagonals can be drawn in a quadrilateral? Explain your answer.
10. If a trapezium has bases of 6 cm and 10 cm and a height of 5 cm, what is its area?
11. Explain how to determine if a quadrilateral is a parallelogram.
12. If the lengths of the sides of a quadrilateral are 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, and 6 cm, is it possible to form a quadrilateral? Why?
13. A quadrilateral has two pairs of equal sides. What is the name of this shape?
14. If a kite has diagonals measuring 8 cm and 6 cm, what is its area?
15. Calculate the perimeter of a rectangle if its length is twice its width and the width is 4 cm.
16. A quadrilateral has angles of 150°, 70°, and 80°. What is the fourth angle?
17. Prove that the opposite angles of a parallelogram are equal.
18. If a quadrilateral has one pair of parallel sides and is not a trapezium, what could it be?
19. Find the area of a rhombus with a diagonal of 10 cm and a diagonal of 6 cm.
20. Describe the properties of a quadrilateral that is both a rectangle and a rhombus.

Answers to Questions

Easy Level Answers

1. 4
2. 360 degrees
3. Square, Rectangle, etc.
4. All sides are equal.
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. 4
8. False
9. Irregular quadrilateral
10. Yes
11. A rectangle
12. True
13. Kite
14. 90 degrees
15. Opposite sides are equal.
16. Yes
17. A trapezium
18. No
19. 4
20. Yes

Medium Level Answers

1. 100 degrees
2. 4
3. Trapezium
4. 5 cm
5. True
6. A rhombus has equal sides; a rectangle has right angles.
7. 70°, 110°, 70°, 110°
8. 2
9. No
10. Trapezium
11. 360 degrees
12. Yes
13. They are equal.
14. 12 cm²
15. 28 cm
16. 4 vertices
17. Yes, opposite angles are equal.
18. 70 degrees
19. No
20. Yes

Hard Level Answers

1. 90 degrees
2. Divide the quadrilateral into two triangles and show that each triangle’s angles sum to 180°, leading to 360°.
3. 60°, 120°, 60°, 120°
4. 20 cm
5. 40 cm²
6. Yes, one obtuse angle can be opposite another obtuse angle.
7. 24 cm
8. Area = side × side
9. 2 (the two diagonals)
10. 40 cm²
11. Show that the opposite sides are equal and the opposite angles are equal.
12. Yes, because the sum of any three sides must be greater than the fourth.
13. Parallelogram
14. 24 cm²
15. 24 cm
16. 150°
17. The opposite angles are formed by the same sides and are equal.
18. It could be a kite.
19. 30 cm²
20. All angles are 90 degrees, and all sides are equal.

Feel free to ask any questions about quadrilaterals! Happy learning!