Area Formulas

Note: "ab" means "a" multiplied by "b". "a " means "a squared", which is the same as "a" times "a". Be careful!! Units count. Use the same units for all measurements. Examples
2

square = a 2

rectangle = ab

parallelogram = bh

trapezoid = h/2 (b1 + b2)

circle = pi r 2

ellipse = pi r1 r2

triangle =

one half times the base length times the height of the triangle

equilateral triangle =

triangle given SAS (two sides and the opposite angle) = (1/2) a b sin C triangle given a,b,c = [s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)] when s = (a+b+c)/2 (Heron's formula) regular polygon = (1/2) n sin(360/n) S2 when n = # of sides and S = length from center to a corner Units Area is measured in "square" units. The area of a figure is the number of squares required to cover it completely, like tiles on a floor. Area of a square = side times side. Since each side of a square is the same, it can simply be the length of one side squared. If a square has one side of 4 inches, the area would be 4 inches times 4 inches, or 16 square inches. (Square inches can also be written in2.) Be sure to use the same units for all measurements. You cannot multiply feet times inches, it doesn't make a square measurement. The area of a rectangle is the length on the side times the width. If the width is 4 inches and the length is 6 feet, what is the area? NOT CORRECT .... 4 times 6 = 24 CORRECT.... 4 inches is the same as 1/3 feet. Area is 1/3 feet times 6 feet = 2 square feet. (or 2 sq. ft., or 2 ft2).

Volume Formulas
Note: "ab" means "a" multiplied by "b". "a " means "a squared", which is the same as "a" 3 times "a". "b " means "b cubed", which is the same as "b" times "b" times "b". Be careful!! Units count. Use the same units for all measurements. Examples
2

cube = a 3

rectangular prism = a b c

irregular prism = b h

cylinder = b h = pi r 2 h

pyramid = (1/3) b h

cone = (1/3) b h = 1/3 pi r 2 h

sphere = (4/3) pi r 3

ellipsoid = (4/3) pi r1 r2 r3

Units Volume is measured in "cubic" units. The volume of a figure is the number of cubes required to fill it completely, like blocks in a box. Volume of a cube = side times side times side. Since each side of a square is the same, it can simply be the length of one side cubed. If a square has one side of 4 inches, the volume would be 4 inches times 4 inches times 4 inches, or 64 cubic inches. (Cubic inches can also be written in3.) Be sure to use the same units for all measurements. You cannot multiply feet times inches times yards, it doesn't make a perfectly cubed measurement. The volume of a rectangular prism is the length on the side times the width times the height. If the width is 4 inches, the length is 1 foot and the height is 3 feet, what is the volume? NOT CORRECT .... 4 times 1 times 3 = 12

CORRECT.... 4 inches is the same as 1/3 feet. Volume is 1/3 feet times 1 foot times 3 feet = 1 cubic foot (or 1 cu. ft., or 1 ft3).