Squares and Rectangles

Class 6 Maths · Chapter 8: Playing with Constructions · NCERT Ganita Prakash section 8.2

Learn

Look around: books, doors, phone screens, cricket pitches. Most are rectangles. A rectangle has 4 sides, its opposite sides are equal, and all 4 angles are right angles (90°).

A square is a special rectangle: all 4 angles are 90° and all 4 sides are equal. So every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square.

Equal sides alone are not enough! Tenzin bends a square frame of sticks. The sides are still equal, but the angles are no longer 90°, so it is not a square any more.

Explore: drag the corner to change the rectangle and watch its sides.

1. Make a rectangle 6 cm long and 4 cm wide.
2. Turn it into a square with sides of 4 cm.
3. Make any rectangle with perimeter 16 cm that is not a square.

Remember

• Rectangle: opposite sides equal, all angles 90°.
• Square: all sides equal and all angles 90°. Every square is a rectangle.

Quick check

Which of these is NOT always true for a rectangle?

1. All sides are equal
2. Opposite sides are equal
3. All angles are 90°
4. It has 4 sides

Think about it

Gauri has a loop of string 20 cm long. She makes rectangles with it. Which rectangle has the biggest space inside?

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.