Which statement correctly defines a trapezoid?

Which statement correctly defines a trapezoid?

• A. A quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides.
• B. A quadrilateral with opposite sides parallel and equal.
• C. A polygon with four right angles.
• D. A triangle.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how many pairs of sides run parallel in a quadrilateral. A trapezoid is defined by having exactly one pair of opposite sides parallel, while the other pair is not parallel to each other. This property sets it apart from other shapes. So the statement that a quadrilateral has exactly one pair of parallel sides describes a trapezoid. If a shape had two pairs of parallel sides, that would be a parallelogram. If it had four right angles, it would be a rectangle. And a triangle isn’t even a quadrilateral because it has only three sides.

The main idea is how many pairs of sides run parallel in a quadrilateral. A trapezoid is defined by having exactly one pair of opposite sides parallel, while the other pair is not parallel to each other. This property sets it apart from other shapes.

So the statement that a quadrilateral has exactly one pair of parallel sides describes a trapezoid. If a shape had two pairs of parallel sides, that would be a parallelogram. If it had four right angles, it would be a rectangle. And a triangle isn’t even a quadrilateral because it has only three sides.