by Danna Martínez
A parallelogram is a geometric figure with four sides, of which the opposites are equal and parallel to each other.
The term “parallelogram” comes from the Greek components para, llelos, and gramma. The word “para” means beside or against. On the other hand, the term “llelos” means another, and “gramma” refers to writing. Parallelograms are one of the three classifications of quadrilaterals. The other two classifications are trapezoids and trapezoids.
Here are six curiosities of parallelograms:
- A parallelogram is a polygon.
- The opposite sides of a parallelogram are parallel (they are at equal distances).
- The opposite sides have the same length.
- The sum of the angles adds up to 360 °.
- By drawing a line between opposite vertices, the parallelogram becomes two congruent triangles.
- By drawing two opposite lines, vertex by vertex, it is possible to find the midpoint of a figure.
Parallelograms differ both in the size of their sides and in the size of their angles. The parallelogram has four sides, four angles, and four vertices. The opposite angles of a parallelogram are equal.
Parallelograms are classified into:
- Squares (▢). Squares have four exactly equal angles and sides. The angles of a square are all right.
- Rectangles (▭). Rectangles have four sides. Two of its sides are equal to each other. The other two sides are equal to each other. Rectangles, like squares, have four right angles.
- Rhombuses (◇). The rhombuses have four equal sides. Two of its angles are equal to each other. The other two sides are equal to each other.
- Rhomboids (▱). Rhomboids have four angles and four sides. Two of the angles are equal to each other. The other two angles are equal to each other. On the other hand, only two of the sides are equal to each other. The other two sides are equal to each other.
The formula for calculating the area of a parallelogram is A = bh. The “b” represents the base, and the “h” represents the height of the parallelogram.
Parallelograms are figures that we can find daily. The study of these figures is of great importance in areas such as architecture, design, and carpentry. Without the research and documentation of these figures, people could not have developed many objects or services.
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