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Cambridge 0580 IGCSE  ·  Topic E4.1

E4.1 Geometrical Vocabulary

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01 — Explanation

What are the basic building blocks of geometry?

A point is an exact position with no size. A line extends without ending; a line segment has two endpoints (its vertices). Two lines are parallel (∥\parallel) if they never meet and stay the same distance apart; they are perpendicular (⊥\perp) if they cross at a right angle (90°90°). A perpendicular bisector cuts a segment exactly in half at a right angle. A plane is a completely flat surface extending in two dimensions, and a bearing is a direction measured clockwise from north.

02 — Explanation

How do I classify angles by size?

  • Acute: between 0°0° and 90°90°
  • Right angle: exactly 90°90°
  • Obtuse: between 90°90° and 180°180°
  • Reflex: between 180°180° and 360°360°

A shape's interior angles are on the inside; its exterior angles are formed by extending one side outward.

03 — Explanation

What vocabulary describes triangles and quadrilaterals?

Triangles: equilateral (all sides/angles equal), isosceles (two sides/angles equal), scalene (no sides equal), right-angled (one 90°90° angle).

Quadrilaterals: square, rectangle, rhombus (all sides equal, opposite sides parallel), parallelogram (opposite sides parallel and equal), kite (two pairs of adjacent equal sides), trapezium (one pair of parallel sides).

04 — Explanation

What does "similar" mean versus "congruent"?

Two shapes are similar if one is an enlargement of the other (same angles, sides in the same ratio — this ratio is the scale factor). Two shapes are congruent if they are exactly identical in size and shape (angles equal AND corresponding sides equal).

05 — Explanation

What terms describe polygons, nets and solids?

A polygon is a closed 2D shape with straight sides — regular if all sides and angles are equal, irregular otherwise. Named by side count: pentagon (5), hexagon (6), octagon (8), decagon (10). A net is a 2D shape that folds up into a 3D solid. Key solids: cube, cuboid, prism (uniform cross-section along its length), cylinder, pyramid, cone, sphere, hemisphere (half a sphere), and frustum (a cone or pyramid with the top sliced off parallel to its base). A solid's face is a flat or curved outer surface, its edge is where two faces meet, and its vertex is a corner point.

06 — Explanation

What vocabulary applies specifically to circles?

  • Centre — the middle point, equidistant from every point on the circle.
  • Radius (plural radii) — centre to edge; diameter — edge to edge through the centre (=2×= 2 \times radius).
  • Circumference — the distance around the circle; semicircle — exactly half.
  • Chord — a straight line joining two points on the circle (not necessarily through the centre).
  • Tangent — a straight line that touches the circle at exactly one point.
  • Arc — part of the circumference; major arc (the longer one) and minor arc (the shorter one).
  • Sector — a "pizza slice" region bounded by two radii and an arc.
  • Segment — a region bounded by a chord and an arc.

Exam tip

Examiners award marks for using this vocabulary correctly in reasons (e.g. "angle in a semicircle" or "tangent"), not just for getting the right numerical angle. Learn the exact words — vague descriptions like "the line touching the circle" instead of "tangent" can cost a mark even with the right diagram.

07 — Worked example

Worked example

(a) A cone has its top sliced off by a cut parallel to its base. Name the resulting solid. (b) A circle has two radii drawn from the centre to its edge, enclosing part of the circle's area between them. Name the shaded region.

  1. A cone with its top removed by a cut parallel to the base is a frustum.
  2. A region enclosed by two radii and the arc between them is a sector.