Basic Area Concepts
In mathematics, area is defined as space or region covered by a shape or an object. Area is measured in square units. In other words, the area can be understood as the number of unit squares that cover up a region or space. In geometry there are many shapes, some are two dimensional and some are three dimensional. Every shape occupies some area. In this article, we will discuss the basic area concepts of some common shapes. For two-dimensional shapes, the area is calculated, whereas, for three-dimensional shapes, total surface area and lateral surface area are calculated.
| 1. | Area Definition |
| 2. | Important Facts About Area |
| 3. | Area of Plane Figures |
| 4. | Solved Examples |
| 5. | Practice Questions |
| 6. | FAQs on Basic Area Concepts |
Area Definition
The total space encompassed by any two-dimensional flat shape is called its area. In other words, we can say that the total number of unit squares completely covers the surface of a shape. The figure shown below shows the area of a square. Considering each small square to be 1 square unit, the area of the square with the highlighted boundary line is 4 square units.
Important Facts About Area
Here are some important facts about the area.
- Area is the total surface that is present inside the boundary of any flat shape.
- The term perimeter is often confused with the area. The perimeter of a shape is measured by taking the outer boundary measurement, whereas area is measured by the total number of square units inside the flat shape.
- Some important terms associated with the area are length, height, width, base, side, radius.
- Two congruent figures will have the same area. This should be obvious since two congruent figures can be exactly superimposed over each other.
- Two non-congruent figures can have the same area. In other words, if two figures have the same area, you cannot say that they are congruent. As a simple example, consider a rectangle with sides 8 units and 2 units, and a square with each side equal to 4 units. Both of these non-congruent figures will have the same area, i.e 16 square units.
Area of Plane Figures
The area of shapes is the measurement of their surface or the space they occupy. It is generally measured in square units. The table given below shows the area of some basic shapes:
Importance of Area in Daily Life
You know that the area of a geometrical figure represents its planar extent. Calculating the areas of planar geometrical figures is an important practical problem. For example, in the construction of a house, the floor area has a crucial role. Farmers routinely have to deal with issues related to the areas of their lands. In building ultra-fast computers, designers have to fit a very high number of electronic components in extremely small chip areas. Clearly, area problems occur in a variety of situations.
Topics Related to Basic Area Concepts
Check out some interesting topics related to basic area concepts.
Solved Examples
-
Example 1: Find the area of the square with side 5 units.
Solution:
Area of a square = (Side × Side) square units.
Side of the square = 5 units.
Therefore, area of the square = 5 × 5
= 25 square units. -
Example 2: Find the area of the rectangle whose width = 6 units and height = 4 units.
Solution:
Area of rectangle = (Width × Height) square units.
Width = 6 units and height = 4 units.
Therefore, area of the rectangle = 6 × 4 = 24 square units. -
Example 3: Find the area of the circle with radius 7 units.
Solution:
Area of a circle = π x radius2
Radius = 7 units.
Therefore, area of the circle = π x 7 x 7 square units
= (22/7) x 7 x 7 square units
= 154 square units.
FAQs on Basic Area Concepts
What is Area in Math?
The space occupied by any flat shape is called the area. It is measured in square units.
How Do You Find Area?
By finding the number of unit squares inside a shape we can find the area of the shape.
What is the Formula to Find the Area of a Square?
The formula to find the area of a square is, Area of a Square = (Side x Side) square units.
What is the Formula for Area of a Rectangle?
The formula to find the area of a rectangle is, Area of a rectangle = (width x height) square units.
What is the Difference Between Area and Perimeter?
Area is the amount of space occupied by a flat shape, whereas perimeter is the measure of the outer boundary of the flat shape.