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Area and perimeter of rectangles

Apply the area formula (l × w) and perimeter formula (2l + 2w) for rectangles including squares in real-world and mathematical problems; calculate and compare areas using standard units (cm², m²) and estimate areas of irregular shapes

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Ce que l'enfant saura faire ensuite

  • Find the width of a room given area = 48 m² and length = 8 m
  • Calculate the area of a square with side 7.5 cm
  • Estimate the area of an irregular pond drawn on a cm² grid

1 · Lis

The area of a rectangle tells you how much flat space it covers. You find it by multiplying the length by the width: area = length × width. Measure in centimetres and you get square centimetres (cm²). Measure in metres and you get square metres (m²). A square is a rectangle with four equal sides, so its area is side × side.

Tap to fill the grid, one at a time: 4 rows of 6.
This grid has 4 rows of 6 squares, so 4 × 6 = 24 squares in total. That's the same idea as area.
Try it together

A square tile has sides of 6.5 cm. A square is a rectangle with equal sides, so area = 6.5 × 6.5 = 42.25 cm². The units stay square centimetres, because you are counting squares that are 1 cm across.

Try it together

A hall has an area of 36 m² and a length of 9 m. Area = length × width, so the width must be 36 ÷ 9 = 4 m. When you know the area and one side, divide to find the other side.

Tap to fill the grid, one at a time: 4 rows of 9.

The perimeter is the distance all the way around the outside. Add the length of every side to find it. In a rectangle the opposite sides match, so there is a shortcut: perimeter = 2 × length + 2 × width. Perimeter is measured in plain centimetres or metres, not square units.

8 cm5 cm8 cm5 cm
Tap each side once, all the way around.

Not every shape is a tidy rectangle. To estimate the area of something like a pond, draw it on a grid of squares. Count the whole squares inside it first. Then look at the part-covered squares and guess how much they add up to. Combine the two counts for your estimate.

Area = length × width, perimeter of a rectangle = 2 × length + 2 × width, and for odd shapes, count grid squares to estimate.

À lire aussi

How to Find the Area of Irregular Shapes

Odd shapes still have areas you can estimate. First method: lay the shape on a centimetre grid and count. Full squares count as one each. Pair up half squares into wholes. A pond with 14 full squares and 8 halves is about 14 + 4 = 18 square cm. Second method: split the shape into rectangles you know. Work out each rectangle with length x width, then add the parts. A wobbly pond might split into a 4 by 3 piece and a 2 by 2 piece: 12 + 4 = 16. Both routes give an estimate, not an exact answer, and that is fine for puddles and ponds.

9 Ways to Find Perimeter

Perimeter is the walk round a shape. Add every side and you have it. Rectangles have a shortcut: opposite sides match, so perimeter is 2 x length + 2 x width. A 9 by 6 rectangle gives 18 + 12 = 30 cm. Squares are even quicker: 4 x side. Missing sides work backwards: if a rectangle has perimeter 24 cm and one side 8 cm, the other pair shares 24 - 16 = 8 cm, so each is 4 cm. Keep perimeter and area apart: adding walks the edge, multiplying fills the inside.

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Area and perimeter of rectangles · Mathematics, ages 9 to 10 · LightMySky