How to Calculate the Area of Shapes?

Introduction

Calculating the area of shapes is an important part of mathematics. Knowing how to calculate the area of shapes is essential for accurately measuring, comparing and understanding the size of different shapes. Fortunately, there are a few simple formulas you can use to calculate the area of basic shapes.

Calculating the Area of a Square

To calculate the area of a square, multiply the length of one side of the square by itself. For example, if the length of one side of your square is 5 inches, the area would be 5 x 5 = 25 inches squared. The formula for calculating the area of a square is A = s2, where A = area, and s = side.

Calculating the Area of a Rectangle

To calculate the area of a rectangle, multiply the length of the rectangle by its width. For example, if the length of a rectangle is 6 inches, and its width is 3 inches, the area would be 6 x 3 = 18 inches squared. The formula for calculating the area of a rectangle is A = l x w, where A = area, l = length, and w = width.

Calculating the Area of a Triangle

To calculate the area of a triangle, multiply the base of the triangle by its height, and then divide the result by two. For example, if the base of a triangle is 6 inches and its height is 4 inches, the area would be 6 x 4 = 24 inches divided by 2 = 12 inches squared. The formula for calculating the area of a triangle is A = (b x h) / 2, where A = area, b = base, and h = height.

Conclusion

Calculating the area of shapes is an important part of mathematics. Knowing how to calculate the area of shapes is essential for accurately measuring, comparing and understanding the size of different shapes. Fortunately, by using the formulas outlined in this article, calculating the area of basic shapes is simple and straightforward.