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What is an oval shape?

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Oval Shape

Learn everything you need to know about the oval shape, from definition to real life examples. Get the perfect resources to teach children about it, too.

What is an oval shape?

An oval shape is a 2D shape, similar to an egg, that has no straight lines and vertices. The oval shape has one flat face, which does no self-intersect at any point. Another way to describe an oval shape is by saying that it is similar to a smooshed circle, a circle that is elongated in a way.

However, the name of this shape comes from the Latin work ‘ovum’, which means egg. So, to make this easier to understand for children, any 2D shape that looks like an egg is called an oval shape. The three-dimensional version of an oval is called an ovoid.

What are the properties of an oval shape?

The term oval is not properly defined in geometry, and it’s usually used to describe curves, Many specific curves are frequently named ovals or oval shapes. In general, we use this term to talk about any plane curve that is similar to the outlines of an egg.

It’s easy to differentiate an oval from the similar shapes if you look at its properties. Here are the ones you should use to differentiate them:

  • An oval shape is a closed shape and plane curve geometrical figure.
  • It has one flat curved face.
  • An oval shape has no corners or vertices, like squares, for instance.
  • A line of symmetry can be observed in some cases.
  • There is no fixed distance from the centre point to the circumference like a circle.
  • It has no straight sides.

Examples in real life

There are tons of different things in real life that have this shape, such as:

  • A cricket ground
  • An athletics track
  • Human eyes
  • The earth’s orbit around the sun
  • An oval rug
  • An oval-shaped ring

Resources to teach children about the oval shape:

Ready-made and ready-to-print, our resources will save you a lot of time! They are created by teachers for teachers, so you can be sure they are relevant and in line with the National curriculum. We also aim to design materials that are interesting and creative and will encourage your children to engage during the lesson, even if the topic is complex. Here are some great resources about oval shapes and other 2D shapes:

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