Shapes homework and yes I am thick

[peasinapod]

Dont want to look a total idiot when I see DS teacher at pick up . Year 2 . I have asked her to explain home work as I would rather look silly than try and help him and get it wrong . the homework stems from a square not being a square any more . it still is IYSWIM but now its a different type of rectangle . (BORING ) So my question is can some one tell me the basic shapes and the rules as a square is four equal sides an oblong is ???? a rectangle is ????? do you see what I mean . I am not that thick really I just want to get it strait in my head . Thanks from one thick mum .

[juuule]

A square is a square not a rectangle. It has 4 equal sides. A rectangle has 2 pairs of equal and opposite sides. Although both have equal right angles. A rectangle is an oblong.

[swedishmum]

Apparently mine were told that a square is a special kind of rectangle..... (ie all sides the same length)

[alexsmum]

good god- a square is a special rectangle? how confused d theyb want our children to be?????????

[nicnack2]

whats the one that has two equal opposite straight sides and two equal diagonal sideslike this //? or am i barking????

[yorkshirelass79]

A rectangle is a four sided shape with four right angles, opposite sides are of equal length.
A square is a rectangle, only all four sides are the same length.
And oblong is just another word for rectangle.
(I think)

[GDG]

Rhombus if the diagonals are going the same way. Trapezium if going opposite ways. I think.

'A special kind of rectangle'? WTF?

[yorkshirelass79]

nicnack2 is that a rhombus?

[GDG]

Oi! I just said that!

[peasinapod]

your confusing me now LOL no seriously you are .
rectangle =?
oblong =?
square =?
triangle=?
hexagon=?
pentagon=?
and a six sided shape cant remember name =?

[swedishmum]

A rhombus has 4 sides of equal length, 2 pairs of parallel sides and opposite angles are equal - a square pushed over a bit. A trapezium has one set of parallel sides.

[alligator]

rectangle si any shape with 4 straight sides and 4 right angles. Both squares and oblongs are rectangles. Squares have all 4 sides of equal lenght. Oblongs have 2 long sides and 2 short sides.

[nicnack2]

yip a rhombus. Just looked at google and it says that a square is a plane rectangle with 4 equal sides and angles. rectangle is a quadilateral with 4 right angle.

[swedishmum]

An oblong is the same as a rectangle - rectangle is the word they use at school. Triangles can be equilateral - 3 sides the sme length and 3 angles of 60 degrees each, right-angled, isosceles - 2 sides same length and 2 angles the same or scalene - all sides difft lengths and all angles difft. We never did scalene triangles at school though - they must be new!

[tallmummy]

Try \link{http://mathsisfun.com/quadrilaterals.html\this}

[GDG]

we did scalene - I'm 33!

[tallmummy]

Scroll down on my link - quite a useful site. I'm dreading the maths homework when mine are juniors and I'm an ex teacher!!

[singersgirl]

Good link, tallmummy. Never knew there were so many shapes.

[juuule]

We did scalene too and I'm 46 :)

As far as I'm concerned a square is a square and a rectangle/oblong is a rectangle/oblong. Both are quadrilaterals (4sides).

[peasinapod]

thank you tall mummy

[SaintGeorge]

An oblong does not have to be a rectangle. It is a shape that has been elongated, so a circle can be stretched and become an oblong.

A rectangle on the other hand has to be an oblong by definition.

Just to confuse things a bit

[juuule]

Interesting.

I thought a stretched circle was an oval.
Always thought an oblong had straight sides.

Well you live and learn.

[PiccadillyCircus]

OOh, the rectangle/oblong thing .

Rectangles are always oblongs, but oblongs do not have to be rectangles.

[juuule]

Oblongs, rectangles and squares\link{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectangle\wikipedia definition}

Looks like a square is a "special rectangle" according to wikipedia.

[SaintGeorge]

S'what I said .

An egg is an oval (or ovoid I believe to be precise)
but it isn't strictly speaking a stretched circle - it pinches in to a point.

[alligator]

\link{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectangle\heres} what Wikipedia says. Interesting