Introduction to geometry: how a rhombus differs from a square

As Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov, the famous scientist of the 18th century, said, mathematics is the queen of all sciences. These words are one of the arguments in favor of the fact that everyone needs to know this subject. And geometry is one of the basic "modules" of mathematics, which, in turn, is based on some fundamental knowledge and skills. One of them is the ability to define and distinguish from each other various geometric and stereometric figures, for example, to be able to distinguish a rhombus from a square. And if you suddenly have problems with the last paragraph, then this article will help you.

First, consider these geometric shapes (rhombus and square) separately.

The main properties of the rhombus

So, by definition, a rhombus is called a parallelogram, in which all sides are equal. A parallelogram is a polygon with 4 angles, with parallel opposite sides. As for the basic properties of the rhombus, they are as follows:

1. The segments of the diagonals of the rhombus are mutually perpendicular to each other. This means that the diagonals of the rhombus intersect at an angle of 90º.
2. The segments of the diagonals of the rhombus lie on the bisectors of its angles. This means that the diagonals of the rhombus divide its angles in half.

The main properties of the square

The definition of a square is as follows: a square is a rectangle with all sides equal. In turn, a rectangle is a parallelogram in which all angles are straight (that is, equal to 90º). The main properties of the square are listed below:

1. The center of symmetry of the square is located at the intersection of its diagonals. This means that the diagonals of the square, intersecting, are divided in half.
2. The segments of the diagonals of the square are equal to each other.
3. The segments of the diagonals of the square lie on the bisectors of its angles. This means that they divide its angles in half.

What is the difference between a rhombus and a square

Let's finally answer this question. You may already have noticed numerous similarities both in the definitions and in the descriptions of the square and rhombus. If we compare all the similarities and differences of the above geometric figures, you can easily notice that they differ only in that the square, in contrast to the rhombus, the degree measure of angles is always equal to 90º. And already from this it follows that in a square, in contrast to a rhombus, the diagonals are always equal. We can conclude that a square is, in fact, a rhombus with right angles. But here it is important to keep in mind that although any square is a rhombus, not every rhombus is a square.

If you were careful, now you know how a rhombus differs from a square, which means you will be able to put this knowledge into practice.