PERFORM

CALCULATION
 It is important to be able to
measure and calculate surface
areas.
It might be necessary to calculate,
for example, the surface area of the
cross-section of a canal or the
surface area of a farm.
This section will discuss the
calculation of some of the most
common surface areas:
triangle, square, rectangle,
rhombus, parallelogram, trapezium
and circle.
The height (h) of a triangle, a
rhombus, a parallelogram or a
trapezium, is the
distance from a top corner to the
opposite side called base (b).
 In the case of a square or a
rectangle, the expression length (1)
is commonly used
instead of base and width (w)
instead of height. In the case of a
circle the expression
diameter (d) is used.
The height (h), base (b), width (w), length (1) and diameter (d)
of the most common surface areas
TRIANGLE
The surface area or surface (A) of a triangle
is calculated by the formula:
A (triangle) = 0.5 x base x height = 0.5 x b x h

Triangles can have many shapes but the

same formula is used for all of them.
TRIANGLE
TRIANGLE
Calculate the surface areas of the
following:

Square: length = 2cm

width = 2cm

Rectangle: length = 5cm

width = 3cm
Activity No
1
v.2.0
Calculate the surface area of the
following:

(1) (3)
(2)
(4) (6) w= 8 m
s=5cm
l= 15 m

(5) (7) w= 14 m
s=4.3dm
l= 23 m
(8) h= 62cm
(9) h= 6.11 cm

b= 50cm b= 11.1 cm

(10)
h= 5 m

b= 15 m
Calculate the surface area of the
following: A= 0.5 bh
=0.5 (7.8)(6)
=0.5 (46.8)

(1)
= 23.4 cm2

(3)
(2)
A= 0.5 bh
=0.5 (12)(14) A= 0.5 bh
=0.5 (168) =0.5 (18)(28)
= 84 cm2 =0.5 (504)
= 252 cm2
(4) (6) w= 8 m
s=5cm A= l x w
A= l x w
=5cm x 5cm
=15m x 8m
=25 cm2 l= 15 m = 120 m2

A= l x w

(5) =4.3dm x 4.3dm

=18.49 cm2 (7) w= 14 m
s=4.3dm
A= l x w
l= 23 m
=23cm x 14cm
= 322 cm2
(8) h= 62cm
(9) h= 6 cm
A= b x h
A= b x h
=(12)(14)
=(11)(6)
= 168 cm2
= 66 cm2

b= 50cm b= 11 cm

(10)
h= 5 m
A= b x h
=(15)(5)
b= 15 m = 75 cm2
RHOMBUS
The surface area or surface (A) of a
rhombus is calculated by the formula:

A (rhombus) = base x height

In a rhombus the lengths of all four
sides are equal; none of the angles
are right angles; opposite sides run
parallel.
Calculate the surface areas of the
following:

Rhombus: base = 3cm

height = 2cm
PARALLELOGRA
MThe surface area or surface (A) of a
parallelogram is calculated by the formula:

A (parallelogram) = base x height

In a parallelogram the lengths of
the opposite sides are equal; none
of the angles are right angles;
opposite sides run parallel.
Calculate the surface areas of the
following:

Parallelogram: base = 3.5cm

height = 3cm
TRAPEZIUM
The surface area or surface (A) of a
trapezium is calculated by the formula:
A (trapezium) = 0.5 (base + top) x height

The top (a) is the side opposite and parallel

to the base (b). In a trapezium only the base
and the top run parallel.
 a= 8cm
a= 12cm
h= 15cm
h= 8cm

b= 23cm
b= 29cm
Some examples of trapezium are:
= 6cm = 8cm

= 4cm = 14cm

= 7cm = 28cm
= 2.5m = 27m

= 3m = 7m

= 4.5m = 16.5m
Another method to calculate the surface
area of a trapezium is to divide the
trapezium into a rectangle and two
triangles, to measure their sides and to
determine separately the surface areas of
the rectangle and the two triangles.
Given: a= 3cm
b= 6cm
h= 2cm
A= 0.5(b+a)x
h
CIRCLES
The surface area or surface (A) of a circle is
calculated by the formula:
A (circle) = 1/4 (¶ x d²)
whereby d is the diameter of the circle and
¶ (a Greek letter, pronounced Pi) a constant
(¶ = 3.14). A diameter (d) is a straight line
which divides the circle in two equal parts.
 Formula: A = 1/4 (¶ x d²)

= 1/4 (3.14 x d x d)
d= 4.5cm
= 1/4 (3.14 x 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm)
= 15.9 cm²
2. Calculate the surface
1.
area of a circle with a
diameter
radius of 6ofm.
3 m.