What distinguishes an isosceles trapezoid?

Study for the Geometry Regents Exam. Enhance your skills with flashcards and multiple choice questions, including hints and explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your test!

An isosceles trapezoid is characterized by having exactly one pair of parallel sides, known as the bases, and the other sides, referred to as the legs, are equal in length, which makes them congruent. Additionally, in an isosceles trapezoid, the diagonals are also congruent. This property of congruent legs and diagonals is what sets the isosceles trapezoid apart from other quadrilaterals, including the general trapezoid.

The congruence of the legs ensures that the angles formed at each base are equal, contributing further to the trapezoid’s symmetry. This means that within the isosceles trapezoid, the opposite angles of the bases are equal, but it is the congruence of the legs and diagonals that is the defining feature.

Other options do not correctly describe the properties of an isosceles trapezoid. For example, it does not have two pairs of congruent sides, nor does it possess all sides equal in length, which would instead refer to a rhombus or square. Furthermore, not all angles in an isosceles trapezoid are right angles, which is another specific characteristic of rectangles or

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