How are a parallelogram and a trapezoid different? A A trapezoid has ony 1 pair of parallel sides, but a paralelogram has 2. C.B.A parallelogram has 4 right angles, but a trapezoid doesn’t need to have 4 right angles CA parallelogram has only 1 pair of parallel sides, but a trapezoid has 2 D A trapezoid has 4 night angles, but a parallelogram doesn’t need to have 4 night angles
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A: A trapezoid has only 1 pair of parallel sides, but a parallelogram has 2.
Explanation:
A parallelogram and a trapezoid are both quadrilaterals, meaning they have four sides, but their properties and definitions differ significantly, especially when it comes to parallel sides.
- Parallelogram:
- A parallelogram is defined as a quadrilateral in which both pairs of opposite sides are parallel. This means the two sides on one side of the parallelogram run parallel to each other, and the same is true for the two opposite sides.
- Parallelograms also have opposite sides that are congruent in length, and the opposite angles are equal.
- A unique feature of parallelograms is that they do not require any right angles. Therefore, a parallelogram can have slanted sides and angles that are not 90 degrees, though a special type of parallelogram called a rectangle has four right angles.
- Trapezoid (or trapezium, in British English):
- A trapezoid is defined as a quadrilateral that has exactly one pair of parallel sides. The non-parallel sides are not required to be equal in length or even parallel.
- Trapezoids come in different types. For example, an isosceles trapezoid has non-parallel sides that are congruent, and its angles at each base are equal. However, regular trapezoids can have sides of different lengths and angles that are not equal.
- Unlike a parallelogram, a trapezoid does not necessarily have any specific relationships between its opposite angles, other than the fact that one pair of opposite sides must be parallel.
In summary, the key difference is that a parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides, while a trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides. This fundamental distinction makes them different in terms of shape, symmetry, and properties.
