A carpenter told me that to check for square, it is not enough that both diagonals be equal, any two parallel sides must also be of equal length.
Does this make sense? I tested the concept on paper, and it does not hold water. Comments?
A carpenter told me that to check for square, it is not enough that both diagonals be equal, any two parallel sides must also be of equal length.
Does this make sense? I tested the concept on paper, and it does not hold water. Comments?
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Replies
"any two parallel sides must also be of equal length"
Each set of parallel sides must be of equal length.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
The diagonals on a regular trapezoid are equal, but it is not square.
see pic...
Edited 10/19/2003 2:21:00 PM ET by DIRISHINME
If you have a rectangle and the bottom and top measures 12 and the two sides measure 5, then the diagonal will measure 13.
So if you take your tape and measure both diagonals on your plates they should equal 13 and you will have a rectangle with both corners at 90°.
If you take that same rectangle and shift the top to the right, you will still have 12 top and bottom and 5 for the sides but your diagonal will not be the same measurement., you will have a Parallelogram.
Measuring from the bottom left corner to the top right corner will be longer. So therefor your corners will no longer be at 90°.
If your top and bottom measurements are the same length and your sides are the smae length and you pull diagonals you have to be square and you will have a rectangle.
Look at the drawing.
Joe Carola
Thanks a lot fellows, that was very helpful. Appreciate the drawings.