Parallel & Perpendicular questions for Primary 5 Maths

Every answer with the reasoning behind it. Worth reading after you have tried the set — or on its own, if you are a parent marking it.

1. How many pairs of parallel sides does a parallelogram have?

   Answer: 2

   Both pairs of opposite sides of a parallelogram are parallel: 2 pairs.

2. Which quadrilateral has perpendicular diagonals but is not always a square?

   Answer: Rhombus

   The diagonals of a rhombus always cross at right angles, and a rhombus need not be a square.

3. Line P is parallel to line Q, and line Q is perpendicular to line R. How do line P and line R relate?

   Answer: Perpendicular

   P points the same way as Q, and Q meets R at a right angle, so P is perpendicular to R.

4. In trapezium ABCD, AB is parallel to DC. Which pair of sides is NOT parallel?

   Answer: AD and BC

   A trapezium has exactly one pair of parallel sides, so AD and BC are not parallel.

5. Which statement about perpendicular lines is TRUE?

   Answer: They meet at 90°

   Perpendicular means meeting at a right angle, which is 90°.

6. How many pairs of perpendicular sides does a right-angled triangle have?

   Answer: 1

   The two sides meeting at the right angle are perpendicular: 1 pair.

7. Line A is parallel to line B, and line B is parallel to line C. How do line A and line C relate?

   Answer: Parallel

   All three lines run in the same direction, so A is parallel to C.

8. Which shape has 4 pairs of perpendicular sides?

   Answer: Rectangle

   A rectangle has a right angle at each of its 4 corners, giving 4 perpendicular pairs.

9. Which pair of lines is perpendicular?

   Answer: The upright and crossbar of a letter T

   The crossbar of a T meets its upright at a right angle, so those two are perpendicular.

10. A quadrilateral has two pairs of parallel sides and no right angles. What is it?

    Answer: Parallelogram

    A parallelogram has both pairs of opposite sides parallel with slanting corners.