Which term describes a shape with four equal sides and four right angles?

Which term describes a shape with four equal sides and four right angles?

• A. Rectangle
• B. Square
• C. Rhombus
• D. Parallelogram

Answer: (B)

Four equal sides and four right angles describe a square. When all four sides are the same length, no side is longer or shorter than the others, and when every corner is a 90-degree angle, the shape fits the definition of a square perfectly. A rectangle also has four right angles, but its sides come in opposite, equal pairs rather than all four being equal, so it doesn’t meet the “all sides equal” criterion. A rhombus has four equal sides, but its angles aren’t required to be right angles. A parallelogram has opposite sides parallel and equal, but its angles can be other than 90 degrees and its sides aren’t necessarily equal. So the combination of four equal sides with four right angles uniquely identifies a square.

Four equal sides and four right angles describe a square. When all four sides are the same length, no side is longer or shorter than the others, and when every corner is a 90-degree angle, the shape fits the definition of a square perfectly. A rectangle also has four right angles, but its sides come in opposite, equal pairs rather than all four being equal, so it doesn’t meet the “all sides equal” criterion. A rhombus has four equal sides, but its angles aren’t required to be right angles. A parallelogram has opposite sides parallel and equal, but its angles can be other than 90 degrees and its sides aren’t necessarily equal. So the combination of four equal sides with four right angles uniquely identifies a square.