There are many geometric forms all around you, and squares are among the most prevalent. The majority of you are probably familiar with squares. However, are you aware that squares can all be considered rhombuses, but not all rhombuses can be regarded as squares? And, did you know that not all parallelograms are rhombuses, but all rhombuses are parallelograms. Well, does that sound confusing? It doesn’t have to be; let’s read on to understand better.
What Exactly is a Rhombus Shape?
According to the definition, a rhombus is “a shape with four sides that are equal in length and with four angles that are not always right angles.“1
In simpler terms, a quadrilateral with four equal sides is called a rhombus. A rhombus is a specific type of parallelogram in which the diagonals are divided at right angles, and the adjacent sides have equal lengths. Because of this, every rhombus is a parallelogram, but not every parallelogram is a rhombus. Also, due to the fact that all four angles of a rhombus need not necessarily be right angles, a square corresponds to a rhombus with angles equal to 90 degrees. The key difference between a square and a rhombus is that all angles in a square must be equal and form right angles; whereas not all angles in a rhombus form right angles. Therefore, all squares are rhombuses, but not all rhombuses are squares.2,3,4
Examples of Rhombus in Real Life
The shape of a rhombus is reasonably familiar and may be found in many items that we use every day. Below is a list of some rhombus-shaped things.
Kites
A kite is a well-known example of a rhombus in real life. Kites typically have four sides that are equal in size and four uneven angles, forming the shape of a rhombus.
Diamonds
The rhombus form is what you would expect when you think of a diamond because it resembles a diamond. Likewise, you may visualize the shape of a rhombus by looking at the outside of a diamond.
Playing Cards
You would undoubtedly think of a deck of cards when you hear the words diamonds and rhombus. A rhombus shape is what you’d expect to see on playing cards to symbolize the suit of diamonds. The suit of diamonds is usually crimson and is rhombus-shaped.
Signboard
The rhombus is one of the most common geometric shapes used in the construction of signboards.
Jewelry
Numerous jewelry pieces and accessories are shaped like rhombuses. For instance, rhombus shapes are frequently used in the creation of jewelry, such as earrings, pendants, and rings.
You can read more articles on math and the real-world examples of pentagons, circles, algorithms, applications of sets, calculus, algebra, computational math, and so much more on BYJU’s FutureSchool Blog.
References:
- Rhombus Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/rhombus
- Duatepe-Paksu, A., Sinem Pakmak, G., & Iymen, E. (2012). WCES 2012 sufficient conditions for a rhombus. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 3249–3253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.045
- Rhombus – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/mathematics/rhombus
- (PDF) Defining a rhombus. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323675941_Defining_a_rhombus