An Overview of Elementary Shapes in Maths for Class 6
In our everyday life, we come across various objects which are of different shapes and sizes. A pencil you use is in the form of a straight line while the biscuit you ate for breakfast was in the form of a circle.
So, each distinct shape must be recognised at first for which our understanding elementary shapes class 6 NCERT notes will be more than helpful for you. In this article, we provide a concise guide on how to differentiate among all the shapes which are present around you.
Line Segments
A line segment is a figure which has two ends and is straight. Here are some examples of line segments.
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How to Measure Line Segments?
Now that you know what line segments look like, another important topic for understanding elementary shapes class 6th is how to measure them.
You can measure the length of a line using a ruler. Simply, put the zero reading of the ruler on one end of the line and mark the reading where the line has ended. The marked reading is the length of the line.
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You can also use a divider along with a ruler for better measurements. Use a ruler the same way as the above figure. Put one end of the divider at A and another at l. Now, measure again via ruler how much the two arms of the divider are apart. This reading is the length of your line.
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Right Angles and Straight Angles
Another important topic for understanding elementary shapes in maths is the concept of right angles and straight. For example, let’s understand this with help of the four directions. Below is a figure with directions mentioned.
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In the above diagram, a right angle of 90 degrees is formed when we move from north N to east E.
A straight angle of 180 degrees is formed when we move from west W to east E.
A complete angle of 360 degrees is formed when we move from north N and come back to north N.
There are three different types of angles.
Types of Angles
Pop Quiz 1
Which of these is a reflex angle?
How to Measure Angles?
We have already seen the definitions of all types of angles. Now it’s time to learn how to measure them to broaden our knowledge on understanding elementary shapes.
Measurement of an angle is done with the help of a protractor. A protractor is an instrument provided with geometry boxes.
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The correct way to measure an angle with a protractor is as follows:
Place the protractor in a way such that the middle vertex of the angle (here, B) comes at one end of the 90-degree line on your protractor, as shown above.
Now, make sure that the horizontal line BC of the angle is coinciding with the baseline of your protractor.
The line which then coincides with line AB of the angle is the degree value of angle ABC, which is 72 degrees in the above example.
Types of Triangles
Triangles are geometrical figures which are enclosed with help of three-line segments, and they are essential for class 6 understanding elementary shapes.
There are many types of triangles, categorised depending on two factors – length of the sides and measure of the angles.
Classification of Triangles Based on Side Lengths
Classification of Triangles Based on Angle Lengths
Now that we have understood all the basic elementary shapes, we hope that your understanding elementary shapes class 6 will be a breeze now.
For more on NCERT class 6 understanding elementary shapes, refer to our comprehensive range of free study material, reference notes and questions on understanding elementary shapes for class 6. Download the Vedantu app today!
FAQs on Understanding Elementary Shapes
1. What are the Most Important Topics for Understanding Elementary Shapes Class 7?
Ans. For understanding elementary shape class 6 CBSE and for class 7, the essential shapes are lines, angles and triangles. A line segment is a straight line starting from one point and ending at another fixed point.
An angle is formed when two-line segments are joined at a point, and the measure of the angle is done with the help of a protractor. A triangle is a figure which is enclosed with the help of three-line segments meeting at three different points.
2. How to Measure Angles?
Ans. One of the essential understanding elementary shapes class 6 questions is how to measure angles. Angles can be measured in two ways – one is with a ruler, and another is with the help of one ruler and another divider.
For measuring with a ruler, put one end of the ruler on the starting point of a line segment and mark the reading on the ruler where the line ends. For measuring with a divider, put two ends of the divider on two ends of the line and measure the arch.
3. What are the Types of Triangles Based on the Lengths?
Ans. For class 6th maths understanding elementary shapes, you must have a clear idea of how triangles are classified based on their side lengths. There are three types of triangles, categorised, based on side lengths – scalene, isosceles and equilateral. A scalene triangle is the one with no sides equal to each other. If any of the two sides are equal in length, it is called an isosceles triangle. If all sides are equal to each other, it is called an equilateral triangle.
4. What are the Types of Triangles Based on the Measure of the Angles?
Ans. For NCERT class 6 understanding elementary shapes, triangles are also classified in one another way, which is with the help of their angle measures. These are the three types– acute, right and obtuse.
If all the angles in a triangle are less than 90 degrees, it is called an acute-angled triangle. If any one of the angles is a right angle, it is a right-angled triangle. And if one of the angles is obtuse, it is an obtuse-angled triangle.