How to Find the Area of a Rectangle
A rectangle is one of the most common geometric shapes. It is a four-sided figure with four right angles and opposite sides have the same measure. Finding the area of a rectangle is a relatively simple task and is often required in real life situations.
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Instructions
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1
Learn the formula for finding the area of a rectangle. The formula is A = lw, where A represents the area, l represents the length of the rectangle and w is the width. In words, the formula simply tells us to multiply the length times the width to obtain the area of a rectangle.
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2
Measure the length of the rectangle. The length is the longest side of the rectangle. Write down the measurement so that you will have it when you are ready to use the formula.
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3
Measure the width of the rectangle. This will be the shortest side. Write down the measurement.
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Multiply the length measurement times the width measurement. These are the two measurements that you found in steps two and three. The answer you get represents the area of the rectangle.
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Remember that area is always expressed in square units. For example, if our measurements of length and width are in inches the area will be in square inches. If the measurements are in meters, the area will be expressed in square meters.
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Look at an example. Suppose I have a flower bed in the shape of a rectangle and I need to find the area of the flower bed. I measure the length of the rectangular bed and find it to be 8 feet. Then I measure the width and find it to be 4 feet. To find the area I multiply the two measurements together, 8 x 4 = 32. So the area of my rectangular flower bed is 32 square feet.
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Tips & Warnings
Mathematics students are often asked to find the area of a rectangle when given the measures of the length and width. In this case, the measuring in steps two and three won't be necessary. Simply use the measurements given in the problem and apply the area formula.
The formula for area of a rectangle is only valid if the length and width measurements are in the same units. For example, if the length is measured in feet and the width in meters the product obtained when multiplying them together does not represent the correct area of the rectangle.
