What is a rhombus? How many lines of symmetry are there in a rhombus?
A rhombus is defined as a two-dimensional figure with a closed shape. It is held as a special parallelogram, and since it has unique properties, it is considered as a quadrilateral. Rhombus is also taken as an equilateral quadrilateral, since all of its sides are equal in length. The term ‘rhombus’ comes from the ancient Greek word ‘rhombus’ which means something that spins.
What is a rhombus?
A rhombus can be described as a special parallelogram as it has the features of a parallelogram, and a quadrilateral which has two pairs of parallel sides. A rhombus has four equal sides but it is still considered as a type of parallelogram with four congruent sides. Thus, a rhombus has all the properties of a parallelogram.
In the above-given figure, it is seen that every rhombus will be a parallelogram, but not every parallelogram will be rhombus. A square can be taken as a special case of a rhombus due to its four equal-length sides. All the angles of a square are right angles, but the angles of a rhombus do not have to be right angles. Therefore, a rhombus with right angles can be taken as a square. Therefore, it can be said that:
· All rhombi or rhombuses can be considered as parallelograms, but all parallelograms cannot be considered as rhombuses.
· All rhombi or rhombuses cannot be considered as squares, but all squares are rhombuses.
There are other additional names of rhombuses:
· Diamond
· Lozenge
· Rhomb
Properties of a rhombus
A rhombus is a special parallelogram as it has all the properties of a parallelogram. The two diagonals of a rhombus are its two lines of symmetry. The axis of symmetry is a line that divides an object into two equal halves creating a mirror-like reflection of both the sides of the object. A rhombus has reflection symmetry over both of its diagonals. The properties of a parallelogram are given below:
· The opposite angles are congruent or equal to each other.
· The opposite sides are equal and parallel to each other.
· The diagonals bisect each other. The sum of any two adjacent or consecutive angles is equal to 180degress.
The table which is given below talks about the properties of a rhombus.
It is to be noted that the diagonal of a rhombus not only bisects each other at 90degrees, but also will be of the same length.
What does a rhombus look like?
A rhombus is a diamond-shaped quadrilateral where all four sides are of equal length. Some common real-life examples of rhombus are a diamond, kite, and an earring, etc.
Key points
· Adjacent angles are supplementary and their sum is 180degrees.
· Diagonals which bisect each other at right angles are of equal length.
· All squares are rhombuses, but all rhombuses are not squres.
Lines of symmetry in a rhombus
A rhombus has two lines of symmetry. They are horizontal line of symmetry and vertical line of symmetry. The lines of symmetry divide the rhombus into two equal halves and they are mirror image to each other. The lines of symmetry start from its diagonals. That is why, it is said that rhombus lines of symmetry are also its diagonals.
What is known as symmetry?
A symmetry is a mirror image. When any object or shape looks the same as it original after it has been turned or flipped, then it is said to be symmetry.
What is known as the line of symmetry?
Any line which divides an object into two halves such that its two parts are similar to each other, then it is known as lines of symmetry.
How do rhombus lines of symmetry differ from the line of symmetry of squares?
A square and rhombus are two dimensional geometric figures which has all the four sides of equal length along with the opposite sides parallel to each other. Though there are similarities of rhombus and square but there are some differences also. These are:
· The four angles of a square are 90degress i.e., right angles which are formed at each vertex whereas the opposite sides of a rhombus are of equal measures.
· Because the angles measure differently in square and rhombus, both have different lines of symmetry.
· A rhombus has two lines of symmetry and a square has four lines of symmetry.
Rotational symmetry of rhombus
The rotational symmetry states that when an object is rotated on its own axis, then its shape remains the same as its original shape.
The angle of rotation of a rhombus is 180degrees and the order of rotational symmetry of rhombus is 2.
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