Parallel & Perpendicular Lines
Maths: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 3.3.2
Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
There are special words we use in maths to describe how a set of straight lines are related to each other.
Parallel lines
- Parallel lines run alongside each other but would never meet, no matter how long they were.
- Parallel lines are always the same distance apart.
- The lines you write on in your English book are parallel lines.
- The opposite sides of a rectangle are parallel.
Perpendicular lines
- Perpendicular lines are lines that meet or cross at right angles.
- Lines that would meet at right angles but are not touching are also perpendicular.
- The squares in your maths book are made of perpendicular lines that cross at right angles.
Lines in shapes
- Shapes can have parallel and perpendicular sides.
Test yourself on Parallel & Perpendicular Lines
How many pairs of parallel lines does a square have?
How many pairs of perpendicular lines does a square have?