Maths Chapter 05: Understanding Elementary Shapes

Class 06 Maths NCERT

The distance between the end points of a line segment is its length. A graduated ruler and the divider are useful to compare lengths of line segments.

When a hand of a clock moves from one position to another position we have an example for an angle.

  • One full turn of the hand is 1 revolution.
  • A right angle is 1⁄4 revolution and a straight angle is 1⁄2 a revolution.
  • We use a protractor to measure the size of an angle in degrees.
  • The measure of a right angle is 90° and hence that of a straight angle is 180°.
  • An angle is acute if its measure is smaller than that of a right angle and is obtuse if its measure is greater than that of a right angle and less than a straight angle.
  • A reflex angle is larger than a straight angle.

Two intersecting lines are perpendicular if the angle between them is 90°. The perpendicular bisector of a line segment is a perpendicular to the line segment that divides it into two equal parts.

Triangles can be classified as follows based on their angles:

  1. Each angle is acute: Acute angled triangle
  2. One angle is a right angle: Right angled triangle
  3. One angle is obtuse: Obtuse angled triangle

Triangles can be classified as follows based on the lengths of their sides:

  1. All the three sides are of unequal length: Scalene triangle
  2. Any two of the sides are of equal length: Isosceles triangle
  3. All the three sides are of equal length: Equilateral triangle

Polygons are named based on their sides.

  • 3 - Triangle
  • 4 - Quadrilateral
  • 5 - Pentagon
  • 6 - Hexagon
  • 8 - Octagon

Quadrilaterals are further classified with reference to their properties.

  1. One pair of parallel sides: Trapezium
  2. Two pairs of parallel sides: Parallelogram
  3. Parallelogram with 4 right angles: Rectangle
  4. Parallelogram with 4 sides of equal length: Rhombus
  5. A rhombus with 4 right angles: Square

Three dimensional shapes: Cubes, cuboids, spheres, cylinders, cones, prisms and pyramids are some of them.