What is Area in Math?

- Definition & Formula

Contributors: Brigette Banaszak, Jennifer Beddoe, Donna Blackney

Learn how to calculate the area of a shape. Discover the definition of area, learn the formulas and the units of
basic shapes, and see examples of how to find a shape's area.

Table of Contents

 Square Units

 What is the Formula for Area?

 Area of Uncommon Shapes

 How to Calculate Area

 Show more

What Is Area in Math?

A two-dimensional geometric shape is a flat shape, such as a drawing or a picture. The definition
of area in math is the space inside of the shape. In a two-dimensional shape, the area must
include the units used, which will be squared units (units2). The shapes pictured in the diagram
below are all two-dimensional, flat figures. The area of each shape is the number of square units
that fill the shape.

The area of a two-dimensional shape is a measurement of the space inside the shape.

At times, finding the area of a two-dimensional shape is as simple as counting the squares. In
the diagram above, it would be possible to estimate the area of the triangle and the
parallelogram using this method. However, the circle would prove more difficult. In most cases,
finding the area of a two-dimensional shape requires the use of a formula. An area formula is a
set of directions to follow in order to find the area of a two-dimensional shape.

Knowing how to find the area of a shape is important. Some practical uses of finding area
include buying the correct amount of carpet for a room, paint for a wall, fertilizer for a lawn, or
fabric for a pattern. Area is also necessary in architecture, design, science, and farming.

Square Units
The area of a two-dimensional geometric figure is measured in square units, or units2. A
square unit is a square with a side length of one unit. For example, a square inch is a square
that is one inch long on each side; a square centimeter is a square that is one centimeter long
on each side, and so on.
What is the Formula for Area?
One way of finding the area of a shape is to count the number of squares it takes to fill the
shape with no gaps or overlaps. This is not always practical or even possible, so area formulas
are commonly used. An area equation is a set of directions for calculating the area of a
particular shape. When some people think of area, they think of the well-known formula for
calculating the area of a rectangle, which is length times width. There is not a single area formula
that can be used for all shapes, but instead each shape has its own area formula. The formulas
for finding the area of most basic shapes are explained below.
Square
The formula for finding the area, A, of a square with side length s is:
2
A  =  s

Rectangle
The formula for finding the area of a rectangle with length l and width w is:

A  =  l ⋅ w

Triangle
The formula for finding the area of a triangle with base b and vertical height h is:
1
A  =   ⋅ b ⋅ h
2

Circle
The formula for finding the area of a circle with radius r is:
2
A  =  π ⋅ r

Parallelogram
The formula for finding the area of a parallelogram with base b and vertical height h is:

A  =  b ⋅ h

Trapezoid
The formula for finding the area of a trapezoid with bases a and b and vertical height h is:
1
A  =   ⋅ (a  +  b) ⋅ h
2

Ellipse
The formula for finding the area of an ellipse with major axis radius a and minor axis radius b is:

A  =  π ⋅ a ⋅ b

The following chart summarizes the formulas for the area of many common shapes.
 Area formulas for two-dimensional geometric shapes.

Area of Uncommon Shapes

Not every shape has an area formulas. However, the basic area formulas can be used to
calculate the area of many uncommon shapes. Consider the shapes in the following diagram;
although they are not basic shapes, they can be broken down into more common shapes.

The area of an uncommon shape can be found by dividing the shape into more basic shapes.

The area of each common shape can be found using the corresponding area formula. Then, the
areas can be added together to find the area of the original, uncommon shape.
How to Calculate Area
Here is the process for calculating the area of a two-dimensional geometric figure.

1. Identify the shape.

2. Find the correct area formula.

3. Identify the needed measurements.

4. Substitute the measurements into the formula.

5. Perform the needed calculations.

These steps will be demonstrated in the examples below.

Area Examples
Example 1
Find the area of a circle with a radius of 5 inches. Follow the steps:

Identify the shape: It is a circle.

Find the correct area formula: The formula for area of a circle is A  =  π ⋅ r
2

Identify the needed measurements: The radius of the circle is 5 inches.

Substitute the measurements into the formula: A  =  π ⋅ 5

2

Perform the needed calculations:

2
A  =  π ⋅ 5

A  =  π ⋅ 25

A  ≈  78.5

The area of the circle is approximately 78.5in2 .

Example 2
Find the area of the shape shown in the diagram.

Find the area of this shape

Follow the steps:

Identify the shape: It is a triangle.

Find the correct area formula: The formula for area of a triangle is A 
1
=   ⋅ b ⋅ h
2

Identify the needed measurements: The base of the triangle is 8 centimeters and the vertical
height is 3 centimeters.

Substitute the measurements into the formula: A 

1
=   ⋅ 8 ⋅ 3
2

Perform the needed calculations:

1
A  =   ⋅ 8 ⋅ 3
2

A  =  12

The area of the triangle is 12cm2 .

Example 3
Find the area of the shape shown in the diagram.

Find the area of this shape.

Follow the steps:

Identify the shape: This uncommon shape is made up of a rectangle and a triangle.

Find the correct area formula: The formula for area of a rectangle is A  =  l ⋅ w and the formula
for the area of a triangle is A 
1
=   ⋅ b ⋅ h
2

Identify the needed measurements: The rectangle has a length of 7 inches and a width of 6
inches. The triangle has a base of 7 inches and a height of 4 inches.

Substitute the measurements into the formula: A  and A 

1
=  7 ⋅ 6 =   ⋅ 7 ⋅ 4
2

Perform the needed calculations:

 A  =  7 ⋅ 6

A  =  42

and
1
A  =   ⋅ 7 ⋅ 4
2

A  =  14

Finally, add the areas of the rectangle and the triangle.

42  +  14  =  56

The area of the shape is 56in2 .

Example 4
Find the area of the shaded region of the shape shown in the diagram.

Find the area of the shaded region

Follow the steps:

Identify the shape: The shaded region is the difference between the area of the square and the
area of the circle.

Find the correct area formula: The formula for area of a square is A  =  s
2
and the formula for
area of a circle is A  =  π ⋅ r2

Identify the needed measurements: The square has a side length of 12 centimeters. The radius of
the circle is one-half the length of the side of the square, so the radius of the circle is 6 centimeters.

Substitute the measurements into the formula: A  and A 

2 2
=  12 =  π ⋅ 6

Perform the needed calculations:

2
A  =  12

A  =  144

and
 2
A  =  π ⋅ 6

A  =  π ⋅ 36

A  ≈  113

Finally, subtract the area of the circle from the area of the square.

144  −  113  =  31

The area of the shaded region is approximately 31cm2 .

Lesson Summary
A two-dimensional geometric shape is a flat shape, such as a drawing or a picture. The area of a
two-dimensional shape is defined as the space inside the shape. In most cases, finding the
area of a two-dimensional shape requires the use of a formula. An area formula is a set of
directions to follow in order to find the area of a two-dimensional shape. The area of a two-
dimensional geometric figure is measured in square units, or units2. A square unit is a square
with a side length of one unit.

Here is the process for calculating the area of a two-dimensional geometric figure.

1. Identify the shape.

2. Find the correct area formula.

3. Identify the needed measurements.

4. Substitute the measurements into the formula.

5. Perform the needed calculations.

The needed area formulas can be found in this lesson or by searching area formulas online. To
find the area of an uncommon shape, split the shape into basic shapes, find the area of each of
these, and add them together.

Video Transcript

Definition of Area
The mathematical term 'area' can be defined as the amount of two-dimensional space taken up
by an object. The use of area has many practical applications in building, farming, architecture,
science, and even deciding how much paint you need to paint your bedroom. The area of a
shape can be determined by placing the shape over a grid and counting the number of squares
that the shape covers, like in this image:
 Area can be determined using a grid.

The area of many common shapes can be determined using certain accepted formulas. Let's
take a look at the most common formulas for finding area.

Area Formulas
To find the area of a rectangle, you use this formula:

Area = length * width

The area of a square is found with this formula:

Area = s2, where s = side

The formula for the area of a triangle is:

Area = (1/2) b * h, where b = base and h = height

To find the area of a circle, use this formula:

Area = pi * r2, where r = radius

The area of a parallelogram is found using this formula:

Area = b * h, where b = base and h = vertical height

The formula for the area of a trapezoid is:

Area = (1/2) * (a + b) * h, where a =base 1, b = base 2, and h = vertical height

An ellipse's area is found this way:

Area = pi * a * b, where a = radius of major axis and b = radius of minor axis

Units of Area
Finding the area of a shape always requires the multiplication of two lengths. In a square, it's
side multiplied by side. In a circle, it's the radius squared. For an ellipse, it's the radius of the
major axis multiplied by the radius of the minor axis. Due to this, the units given to area will
always be squared (feet squared, inches squared, etc.). Anything multiplied to itself is squared,
whether it is a number or not.
Finding the Area Example Problems
Let's practice finding the area with some example problems.

What is the area of a square with side length of 5 inches?

Remember, the formula for finding the area of a square is A = s2. The sides of this particular
square are 5 inches. Plug that into the formula to get A = 52 = 25 in2.

What is the area of this parallelogram?

Parallelogram for example problem

Remember, the formula is A = b * h. So, for this example, the area would be A = 3 * 12 = 36
mm2.

Finding the Area of Uncommon Shapes

If you are asked to find the area of an uncommon shape, it can be done by breaking the shape
into more common shapes, finding the area of those shapes, and then adding the areas
together. Let's look at some examples:

Find the area of this shape:

Shape for example problem

The first step to solving this problem is to divide the shape into shapes we can find the area of
easily. This shape can be divided into a triangle and a square.

To find area, divide uncommon shapes into common ones.

You can use the information given to determine the lengths you need to calculate the area.
Since you know the height from the point of the triangle to the bottom of the square is 10 cm
and the height of the square is 8 cm, the height of the triangle must be 2 cm. The base of the
triangle is equal to a side of the square, which is 8 cm. You can use these numbers to determine
the area. A of square = s2 = 82 = 64 cm2. A of triangle = (1/2) * b * h = (1/2)* 8 * 2 = 8 cm2. Then
you just add the areas together to get the total area of the figure. A = 64 + 8 = 72 cm2.

Find the area of the figure shaded in red, given that the dimensions of the rectangle are 11 inches by 7
inches

Find the area of the red portion.

This example is a bit different, since you only want the area of a small portion of the figure. This
figure can be broken down into a rectangle and a circle only, this time, the area of the circle
needs to be subtracted from the area of the rectangle to get the remaining area. A of rectangle =
l * w = 11 * 7 = 77 in2. A of circle = pi * r2 = pi * (3.52) = 38.47 in2.
The radius of the circle is determined from the diameter of the circle, which is equal to the width
of the rectangle because the circle is as wide as the rectangle. The radius is half of the diameter
(1.2 * 7 = 3.5). A = 77 - 38.47 = 38.53 in2.

Lesson Summary
The area of a two-dimensional figure is a calculation of the space taken up by the figure. Figures
such as squares, triangles, circles, and others have specific formulas that can be used to find
their area. The area of other figures can be determined by breaking the figure into parts whose
area can be easily determined.

Learning Outcomes
As you watch the video lesson, your increasing knowledge could prepare you to:

State the definition of area and recognize its applications

Express the units for area

Identify and apply the formulas for finding the area of common shapes

Find the area of uncommon shapes

Activities FAQs

Application of Area in Math

Solve the following word problem:
Jaime is building a tree house for her son. She wants to paint the walls of the tree house but
does not know how much paint she needs. She uses a tape measure to determine the
length and width of each wall. Each wall (4 total) measures 10 feet in length and 12 feet in
width. If one paint can covers 240 square feet, how many cans of paint will Jaime need to
paint the four walls of the tree house?

Answer:
The problem states that each wall is 10 feet in length and 12 feet in width. This is the shape
of a rectangle. Use the formula for the area of a rectangle (length times width) to find the
area of each wall.

One wall is 120 square feet (10 feet times 12 feet). Multiply by 4 walls to get the total area of
the walls (120 square feet times 4 walls = 480 square feet for 4 walls).

Divide the total area of the walls by the area covered by one paint can to find the number of
paint cans required (480 square feet divided by 240 square feet per can of paint = 2 cans of
paint).
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