NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Maths Chapter 3: Understanding Quadrilaterals — Complete Guide
Complete solutions for all exercises — polygons, angle sum property, parallelograms, and special quadrilaterals with 30+ solved problems.

Why Understanding Quadrilaterals Is Essential for Geometry
Chapter 3 of NCERT Class 8 Maths is one of the most visually rich and property-heavy chapters in the entire textbook. It takes you from general polygons to the specific world of quadrilaterals — four-sided figures that include some of the most important shapes in geometry: parallelograms, rectangles, rhombuses, squares, trapeziums, and kites.
What makes this chapter special is the beautiful hierarchy of quadrilaterals. A square is a special rectangle, which is a special parallelogram, which is a special quadrilateral. Understanding this hierarchy means you can apply properties efficiently — anything true for a parallelogram is automatically true for a rectangle, a rhombus, and a square.
This chapter typically carries 6-8 marks in CBSE exams and forms the foundation for the Quadrilaterals chapter in Class 9 (where you prove many of these properties rigorously) and the Coordinate Geometry chapter in Class 10 (where you verify properties using algebra).
The key ideas you will master in this chapter include the angle sum property of polygons, the exterior angle sum property, and the defining properties of each type of quadrilateral. Let us walk through every concept and exercise with detailed solutions!
Polygons: Classification and Basics
Before studying quadrilaterals specifically, the chapter begins with a broader look at polygons — closed figures made up of straight line segments.
A polygon with sides is called an **-gon**. Common names:
- sides: Triangle
- sides: Quadrilateral
- sides: Pentagon
- sides: Hexagon
- sides: Heptagon
- sides: Octagon
- sides: Nonagon
- sides: Decagon
Polygons are classified as convex (all interior angles less than , all diagonals lie inside) or concave (at least one interior angle greater than , at least one diagonal lies partly outside).
A regular polygon has all sides equal and all angles equal. A regular triangle is an equilateral triangle; a regular quadrilateral is a square; a regular hexagon has all sides equal and all angles .
A diagonal of a polygon is a line segment connecting two non-adjacent vertices. The number of diagonals of an -sided polygon is .
Solved Example 1: Counting Diagonals
Problem: How many diagonals does a decagon (-sided polygon) have?
Solution:
Using the formula: Number of diagonals
Answer: A decagon has diagonals.
Angle Sum Property of Polygons
The angle sum property tells us the total of all interior angles of a polygon. This is one of the most important formulas in geometry.
Theorem: The sum of interior angles of a polygon with sides is:
Why does this work? Any polygon with sides can be divided into triangles by drawing diagonals from one vertex. Since each triangle has an angle sum of , the total is .
Examples:
- Triangle ():
- Quadrilateral ():
- Pentagon ():
- Hexagon ():
- Octagon ():
For a regular polygon, since all angles are equal, each interior angle .
Solved Example 2: Sum of Interior Angles
Problem: Find the sum of interior angles of a polygon with sides.
Solution:
Answer: The sum of interior angles of a -sided polygon is .
Solved Example 3: Each Angle of a Regular Polygon
Problem: Find each interior angle of a regular hexagon.
Solution:
Sum of interior angles .
Since all angles are equal in a regular polygon:
Answer: Each interior angle of a regular hexagon is .
Solved Example 4: Finding Number of Sides from Interior Angle
Problem: Each interior angle of a regular polygon is . Find the number of sides.
Solution:
Each exterior angle .
Sum of exterior angles of any convex polygon .
Answer: The polygon has sides (nonagon).
Solved Example 5: Finding Missing Angle
Problem: Four angles of a pentagon are , , , and . Find the fifth angle.
Solution:
Sum of interior angles of a pentagon .
Let the fifth angle .
Answer: The fifth angle is .
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Exterior Angles of a Polygon
An exterior angle of a polygon is formed by one side of the polygon and the extension of an adjacent side. At each vertex, the interior angle and the exterior angle are supplementary (they add up to ).
Key Theorem: The sum of exterior angles of any convex polygon is always , regardless of the number of sides.
This is a remarkably powerful result. Whether you have a triangle, a quadrilateral, or a -sided polygon, the sum of all exterior angles (one at each vertex) is always .
For a regular polygon with sides, each exterior angle .
This gives us a quick way to find the number of sides: .
Solved Example 6: Exterior Angles
Problem: The exterior angles of a quadrilateral are , , , and . Find all the angles.
Solution:
Sum of exterior angles :
Exterior angles: .
Corresponding interior angles: , , , .
Verification: Sum of interior angles ✓
Solved Example 7: Is a Regular Polygon Possible?
Problem: Can a regular polygon have each interior angle equal to ?
Solution:
Each exterior angle .
Number of sides .
Since the number of sides must be a whole number, no regular polygon can have each interior angle equal to .
Exercise 3.1 — Complete Solutions (Polygons and Angle Sums)
Exercise 3.1 covers the angle sum property of polygons and exterior angle calculations. Here are complete solutions for all problem types.
Solved Example 8: Angles of a Quadrilateral in Ratio
Problem: The angles of a quadrilateral are in the ratio . Find all the angles.
Solution:
Let the angles be .
Sum of angles of a quadrilateral :
The angles are: , , , .
Verification: ✓
Solved Example 9: Sum of Interior Angles of Octagon
Problem: Find the sum of interior angles of a polygon with sides (octagon).
Solution:
Answer: The sum of interior angles of an octagon is .
Solved Example 10: Finding Missing Angles in a Quadrilateral
Problem: Three angles of a quadrilateral are , , and . Find the fourth angle.
Solution:
Let the fourth angle .
Answer: The fourth angle is .
Solved Example 11: Exterior Angle of Regular Polygon
Problem: Find each exterior angle of a regular polygon with sides.
Solution:
Answer: Each exterior angle is .
Properties of Parallelograms
A parallelogram is a quadrilateral in which both pairs of opposite sides are parallel. This simple definition leads to several powerful properties:
Property 1: Opposite sides are equal.
In parallelogram : and .
Property 2: Opposite angles are equal.
and .
Property 3: Adjacent angles are supplementary.
, , etc.
Property 4: Diagonals bisect each other.
If diagonals and intersect at , then and .
Converse Properties (used to prove a quadrilateral is a parallelogram):
- If both pairs of opposite sides are equal, it is a parallelogram.
- If both pairs of opposite angles are equal, it is a parallelogram.
- If diagonals bisect each other, it is a parallelogram.
- If one pair of opposite sides is both equal and parallel, it is a parallelogram.
Solved Example 12: Finding Angles of a Parallelogram
Problem: In a parallelogram , . Find , , and .
Solution:
Adjacent angles are supplementary:
Opposite angles are equal:
Verification: ✓
Solved Example 13: Using Opposite Sides Property
Problem: In a parallelogram , and . Find .
Solution:
Opposite sides of a parallelogram are equal:
Answer: units.
Solved Example 14: Diagonals Bisect Each Other
Problem: The diagonals of a parallelogram intersect at . If and , find .
Solution:
Diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other, so :
Answer: units.
Solved Example 15: Angle Bisector in a Parallelogram
Problem: In a parallelogram , the bisector of meets at . If , find .
Solution:
Since the bisector of divides it into two equal parts:
Since and is a transversal:
(co-interior angles), so .
In :
Answer: .
Exercise 3.2 — Complete Solutions (Parallelogram Properties)
Exercise 3.2 focuses on applying the properties of parallelograms to find unknown angles, sides, and diagonal lengths.
Solved Example 16: Angles in Terms of x
Problem: In a parallelogram , and . Find all angles.
Solution:
Adjacent angles of a parallelogram are supplementary:
Verification: ✓
Solved Example 17: Perimeter of Parallelogram
Problem: Two adjacent sides of a parallelogram are cm and cm. Find its perimeter.
Solution:
In a parallelogram, opposite sides are equal. So the four sides are cm.
Answer: The perimeter is cm.
Solved Example 18: Using Diagonal Properties
Problem: The diagonals of a parallelogram intersect at . If cm and cm, find and .
Solution:
Diagonals bisect each other:
Answer: cm, cm.
Special Quadrilaterals: Rectangle, Rhombus, and Square
The most important part of this chapter is understanding how rectangle, rhombus, and square are special types of parallelograms with additional properties.
Rectangle: A parallelogram with all angles .
- All parallelogram properties apply.
- Additional: Diagonals are equal ().
Rhombus: A parallelogram with all sides equal.
- All parallelogram properties apply.
- Additional: Diagonals bisect each other at right angles ().
- Additional: Diagonals bisect the vertex angles.
Square: A parallelogram with all sides equal AND all angles .
- It is simultaneously a rectangle AND a rhombus.
- Diagonals are equal, bisect each other at right angles, and bisect the vertex angles.
The Hierarchy:
This means every property of a parallelogram is automatically true for rectangles, rhombuses, and squares.
Solved Example 19: Diagonals of a Rhombus
Problem: The diagonals of a rhombus are cm and cm. Find the side of the rhombus.
Solution:
Diagonals of a rhombus bisect each other at right angles. Half-diagonals: cm and cm.
Using Pythagoras theorem in the right triangle formed:
Answer: Each side of the rhombus is cm.
Solved Example 20: Rectangle Diagonal
Problem: is a rectangle with cm and cm. Find the length of diagonal .
Solution:
In a rectangle, each angle is . In :
Since diagonals of a rectangle are equal: cm also.
Answer: cm.
Solved Example 21: Properties of a Square
Problem: is a square with side cm. Find: (a) the length of each diagonal, (b) the angle each diagonal makes with a side.
Solution:
(a) Using Pythagoras theorem:
(b) Since all sides are equal, the diagonal divides the corner angle into two angles.
Answer: (a) Diagonal cm. (b) The diagonal makes with each side.
Solved Example 22: Area of Rhombus from Diagonals
Problem: The diagonals of a rhombus are cm and cm. Find the area and the perimeter.
Solution:
Area of a rhombus cm.
Perimeter: First find the side. Half-diagonals: cm and cm.
Answer: Area cm, Perimeter cm.
Trapezium and Kite
These two quadrilaterals are NOT parallelograms, but they have their own special properties.
Trapezium (Trapezoid): A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides.
- The parallel sides are called bases and the non-parallel sides are called legs.
- An isosceles trapezium has equal legs, equal base angles, and equal diagonals.
Kite: A quadrilateral with two pairs of consecutive equal sides.
- Properties: One pair of opposite angles are equal (the angles between the unequal sides).
- Diagonals are perpendicular to each other.
- One diagonal bisects the other (but not vice versa).
- One diagonal is the axis of symmetry.
Solved Example 23: Trapezium Angles
Problem: In a trapezium , . If and , find and .
Solution:
Since :
- (co-interior angles), so .
- (co-interior angles), so .
Verification: ✓
Solved Example 24: Kite Properties
Problem: In a kite , cm and cm. If , find .
Solution:
In a kite, the angles between the pairs of unequal sides are equal:
Wait — this needs careful consideration. In a kite where and , the equal angles are and (the angles between unequal sides).
Actually, in this configuration, and are the vertices where unequal sides meet, so .
Sum of all angles :
The diagonal (connecting the vertices where equal sides meet) is the axis of symmetry, and it bisects angles and . Without additional information, we know .
Answer: .
Exercise 3.3 — Complete Solutions (Special Quadrilaterals)
Exercise 3.3 focuses on applying the properties of special quadrilaterals — rectangles, rhombuses, squares, trapeziums, and kites.
Solved Example 25: Identifying the Quadrilateral
Problem: A quadrilateral has all four sides equal and all four angles equal. What type is it?
Solution:
All sides equal it could be a rhombus or a square.
All angles equal each angle , so it is a rectangle.
Since it satisfies BOTH conditions (all sides equal AND all angles ), it is a square.
A square is simultaneously a rectangle and a rhombus.
Solved Example 26: Equal Diagonals Identification
Problem: is a parallelogram. If , what can you conclude about ?
Solution:
In a parallelogram, diagonals bisect each other. If they are also equal (), then all four segments from the center to the vertices are equal ().
A parallelogram with equal diagonals is a rectangle.
Answer: is a rectangle.
Solved Example 27: Perpendicular Diagonals Identification
Problem: is a parallelogram with . What type of quadrilateral is it?
Solution:
A parallelogram whose diagonals are perpendicular to each other is a rhombus.
If additionally all angles were , it would be a square. But with only the perpendicularity condition, we can only conclude it is a rhombus.
Answer: is a rhombus.
Solved Example 28: Square Diagonal Properties
Problem: The diagonal of a square is cm. Find the side and the perimeter.
Solution:
Let the side . Diagonal of a square .
Answer: Side cm, Perimeter cm.
Solved Example 29: Combined Properties
Problem: is a rhombus where . The side of the rhombus is cm. Find the lengths of the diagonals.
Solution:
Since is a rhombus, opposite angles are equal: .
Adjacent angles are supplementary: .
The diagonals bisect the vertex angles:
- Diagonal makes with each side at vertices and .
- Diagonal makes with each side at vertices and .
In (where is the intersection of diagonals):
, , (diagonals perpendicular).
cm.
cm.
Answer: cm, cm.
Solved Example 30: Prove It Is a Parallelogram
Problem: In quadrilateral , cm and . Prove that is a parallelogram.
Solution:
In quadrilateral :
- (given: one pair of opposite sides are equal)
- (given: the same pair is parallel)
A quadrilateral in which one pair of opposite sides is both equal and parallel is a parallelogram.
Therefore, is a parallelogram.
The Quadrilateral Hierarchy — Summary Table
This table summarizes all properties at a glance. Use it for quick revision.
| Property | Parallelogram | Rectangle | Rhombus | Square | Trapezium | Kite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opp. sides parallel | Both pairs | Both pairs | Both pairs | Both pairs | One pair | No |
| Opp. sides equal | Yes | Yes | Yes (all equal) | Yes (all equal) | No | No |
| All sides equal | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Two pairs |
| Opp. angles equal | Yes | Yes (all 90°) | Yes | Yes (all 90°) | No | One pair |
| All angles 90° | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Diag. bisect each other | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | One bisects other |
| Diag. equal | No | Yes | No | Yes | No* | No |
| Diag. perpendicular | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Diag. bisect vertex angles | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | One diagonal |
*Isosceles trapezium has equal diagonals.
Note: Every property that a parallelogram has is automatically inherited by rectangles, rhombuses, and squares. The special quadrilaterals simply add MORE properties on top.
Common Mistakes Students Make in Quadrilaterals
Here are the most frequent errors — learn these and you will avoid losing marks:
1. Confusing the hierarchy:
* Mistake: Saying "a rectangle is not a parallelogram" or "a square is not a rhombus".
* Fix: Remember: Square Rectangle Parallelogram and Square Rhombus Parallelogram. Every square IS a rectangle AND a rhombus.
2. Using wrong angle sum:
* Mistake: Using for the angle sum of a quadrilateral (that is for a triangle).
* Fix: Angle sum of a quadrilateral . General formula: .
3. Confusing interior and exterior angles:
* Mistake: Adding interior and exterior angles incorrectly, or forgetting they are supplementary.
* Fix: Interior angle Exterior angle at each vertex. Sum of all exterior angles .
4. Not stating properties used:
* Mistake: Finding the answer but not mentioning which property was applied.
* Fix: Always write: "Since opposite angles of a parallelogram are equal..." or "By the angle sum property of a quadrilateral..."
5. Assuming perpendicular diagonals for all parallelograms:
* Mistake: Claiming diagonals of a parallelogram are perpendicular (that is only true for rhombuses).
* Fix: Perpendicular diagonals Rhombus. Equal diagonals Rectangle. Both Square.
6. Incorrect Pythagoras in rhombus problems:
* Mistake: Using full diagonal lengths instead of half-diagonals when applying Pythagoras theorem.
* Fix: Diagonals of a rhombus bisect each other. Use HALF of each diagonal as the two legs of the right triangle.
7. Forgetting that a trapezium is NOT a parallelogram:
* Mistake: Applying parallelogram properties (like opposite sides equal) to a trapezium.
* Fix: A trapezium has only ONE pair of parallel sides. Only the co-interior angle property ( between parallel sides) applies.
Exam Strategy: How to Score Full Marks in Chapter 3
Chapter 3 is a highly scoring chapter because the questions are visual and property-based. Here is your strategy:
Weightage: This chapter typically carries 6-8 marks in CBSE exams across MCQs, short-answer, and diagram-based questions.
Typical Question Patterns:
* 1 Mark (MCQ/VSA): "How many diagonals does a hexagon have?" or "Each interior angle of a regular polygon is . How many sides?" or "Which quadrilateral has perpendicular diagonals?"
* 2-3 Marks (SA): Finding missing angles of a quadrilateral; angles in ratio problems; finding sides/diagonals of special quadrilaterals using Pythagoras.
* 3-4 Marks (LA): Proving a quadrilateral is a parallelogram; multi-step problems involving diagonal properties; identifying types from given conditions.
High-Priority Topics:
1. Angle sum property of polygons —
2. Exterior angle sum and its applications
3. Finding angles of parallelograms (opposite equal, adjacent supplementary)
4. Rhombus diagonal problems using Pythagoras
5. Identifying quadrilateral types from properties
Time Allocation: Spend - minutes on a -mark question and - minutes on a -mark proof/multi-step problem. Always draw clean diagrams.
Pro Tips:
- Draw and label every diagram. Mark parallel sides with arrows, equal sides with tick marks, and right angles with small squares.
- State every property you use. "Opposite angles of a parallelogram are equal" earns marks.
- For "identify the quadrilateral" questions, check properties systematically: Are opposite sides parallel? Equal? Are diagonals equal? Perpendicular?
Practice on SparkEd's Quadrilaterals page for exam-ready confidence!
Connections to Other Chapters and Higher Classes
Understanding quadrilaterals connects to several other topics:
Within Class 8:
- Chapter 9 (Mensuration): Area formulas for trapeziums and general quadrilaterals build directly on this chapter.
- Chapter 5 (Squares and Square Roots): Pythagoras theorem used for finding diagonals.
In Class 9:
- Chapter 8 (Quadrilaterals): You will formally PROVE many of the properties stated in this chapter (like the midpoint theorem and properties of parallelograms).
- Chapter 9 (Areas of Parallelograms and Triangles): Area relationships between parallelograms and triangles sharing the same base and height.
In Class 10:
- Coordinate Geometry: Verifying that four given points form a parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, or square using distance and slope formulas.
- Triangles: Similarity and congruence proofs involving quadrilateral diagonals.
A thorough understanding of quadrilateral properties now makes geometry much smoother in Classes 9 and 10!
Boost Your Preparation with SparkEd
You have just gone through the entire Understanding Quadrilaterals chapter — every property, every exercise, every quadrilateral type. But reading alone will not get you full marks; practice will.
Here is how SparkEd can help you ace this chapter:
* Practice by Difficulty: On our Quadrilaterals practice page, work through problems sorted by difficulty. Start with basic angle sums and build up to multi-step diagonal problems.
* AI Math Solver: Stuck on a quadrilateral property problem? Paste it into our AI Solver and get step-by-step solutions.
* AI Coach: Get personalized recommendations on which quadrilateral types need more practice based on your performance.
* Cross-Topic Connections: Quadrilaterals connect to Mensuration (Chapter 9) and Squares and Square Roots (Chapter 5). Explore all chapters on our programs page.
Head over to sparkedmaths.com and start practicing today!
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