Which Quadrangle Has Two Pairs of Equal Sides but Is Not a Parallelogram?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 25, 2020

A quadrangle that has two pairs of equal sides but is not a parallelogram is called a kite. Kites have two separate pairs of adjacent congruent sides and one pair of equal opposite angles.

Kites are orthodiagonal, meaning the diagonals connecting the opposite corners cross each other at right angles. This divides the interior of the kite into two pairs of congruent right triangles. The paired congruent sides can be any length, so the overall shape of a kite can range from very long and pointed to nearly square. If all of the sides of a kite are congruent, then that kite can also be classified as a rhombus.