Quadrilaterals are polygons with four sides and four angles. They vary in shapes and properties, including squares, rectangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, and rhombuses, each defined by specific side lengths and angle measures.
A quadrilateral is essentially a four-sided item.
In geometry, it is considered as a closed-two dimensional polygon, made by joining four points with any three points being non-collinear.
This means that a quadrilateral has four line segments, four vertices, and four angles.
All the four sides of a quadrilateral may or may not be equal. The angles also differ but the sum of all the interior angles should always be equal to 3600.
Many of the items you find at home fit either one or more of the above descriptions.
Popular types of quadrilaterals include rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, kites, trapezium, and squares, among others.
Here are ten examples of these quadrilaterals in real life.
1. A Table
A table is the most popular quadrilateral in real life.
It is made of a rectangular top and is supported by four legs. Some tables have four legs attached to a block of wood so that people cannot see from the front of the table.
Tables may come with various designs, incorporating additional storage and racks to place books, stationery, and CPUs.
However, they retain rectangular shapes like any other quadrilaterals.
Other related items that have a similar design include square stools and related furniture accessories.
2. A Stack of Books
If you place books on top of each other, they will create a cuboid.
The cuboid may have the dimensions defined by how high the stack is and the length and width of the books.
Therefore, you can make quadrilaterals of any size by adding and removing some books from your stack.
You may also try various book sizes to increase the length and other dimensions.
3. A Kite
A kite is a flying toy made of a piece of nylon paper fastened to the shape of a kite using sticks.
Some children add a ‘tail’ to give it a dramatic effect as it flies against the waves.
The user holds it with a thread to prevent it from flying off.
Kites are good examples of a quadrilateral with 2 pairs of equal-length adjacent sides.
4. A TV Set
A TV set is a rectangular quadrilateral.
Depending on the type and the size of the TV set, you can have a rectangle of any size or varying width if it is not a flat-screen TV.
Similarly, the computer monitors and other digital displays are quadrilaterals.
They also come in different sizes, thereby offering different viewing experiences to the users.
5. Boxes and Storage Bags
Boxes can be made of various materials, including metal, fabric, and paper.
Most of the boxes and storage bags are large four-dimensional spaces for storing items.
If looked at from any of the four sides, these items are rectangular.
Boxes and bags come in various sizes, including height and width. Each of them presents a different rectangle to the viewer.
6. Shipping Containers
If you live near a harbor or a customs backyard, you may have come across shipping containers. Some of them are now used to build pre-fabricated homes.
The shipping containers are elongated boxes with a short width and a long length.
If you look at the container from any side, it presents a rectangle. When they are stacked together, you get huge rectangles visible from either of the sides.
7. Flats and Skyscrapers
Flats are homes built with a flat roof. Some homeowners may place water tanks or create decks at the top.
If you look at any flat from any side, it looks like an elongated rectangle.
Some skyscrapers have a similar design. However, others may have an added quadrilateral shapes such as polygons and kites at the top.
Some may have a combination of different quadrilaterals.
8. Windows and Doors
Most conventional windows and doors are square and rectangular. Windows are usually made using grills and open to let some fresh air in.
The windowpanes that open are usually rectangular, with an individual piece of glass being square.
On the other hand, doors are usually rectangular, except for wide doors such as those used in hospitals and garages.
Since doors and windows have a negligible thickness, they make for perfect quadrilaterals.
9. Washing Machine and Refrigerators
Washing machines, refrigerators, and other home appliances come in rectangular and square shapes.
Therefore, if you looked at any of the appliances from any side or the top, you would see either quadrilateral.
Refrigerators have shelves on the inside that are either rectangular or squares.
Other home appliances with similar shapes include microwave cookers, tabletop cookers, ovens, and toasters, among others.
10. Electronic Devices
Many of the electronic devices are designed as quadrilaterals. Popular ones include DVD players, laptops, CPUs, mobile devices, remote controls, speakers, and packaging boxes.
Each of these devices presents either a rectangle or a square when looked at from any angle.
If you would like to see various sizes of the two shapes, just arrange these items on a table and view them from above.
These shapes are used in the mentioned devices so that they are compact, easy to use and to reduce the cost of production.
Closing Thoughts
There you have it; ten most popular examples of quadrilaterals in real life (or around your home).
Quadrilaterals are the most popular shapes used in producing consumer goods. Therefore, you are bound to find many more examples around you that fit this description.
You will notice that most items have either square or rectangular planes.
However, you may find a few rhombi, trapezium, and parallelogram-shaped items around you.