Area is how much flat space a shape covers.
Area is the amount of surface a shape covers.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Measured in squares
We measure area by covering the shape with equal squares and counting them.
No gaps, no overlaps
The squares must fit exactly, the same rule as measuring length with cubes.
An area of 12 squares is written as 12 square units.
Area is a count of squares
Area measures how much flat surface a shape covers. We measure it by covering the shape with equal squares, leaving no gaps and no overlaps, and counting them. The answer is a number of squares — a square centimetre, a square metre, and so on.
The size of the square matters
The same rectangle covered with small squares gives a bigger number than with big squares. So an area is meaningless without its unit: 24 square centimetres and 24 square metres are wildly different amounts of space. Always write the unit down.
No gaps and no overlaps
If the squares leave gaps, you have undercounted. If they overlap, you have counted some space twice. This rule is what makes the count mean something, and it is the reason we use squares rather than circles, which cannot tile a surface without gaps.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Change the sides and count the squares inside.
Area · squares inside
15
Perimeter · walk around
16
Area counts the squares inside. Perimeter measures the walk all the way round.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Watch Ana Cover a Rectangle
Ana covers a rectangle with square tiles.
- Step 1
She lays the tiles edge to edge with no gaps.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
The Patio
Problem 1 of 2
A patio is covered by 24 square slabs. What is its area?
square units
The Rule
Problem 2 of 2
Can the squares overlap when you measure area?
Count the Squares
1 of 3
A rectangle 4 across and 3 down. What is its area?
2 of 3
A rectangle 6 across and 2 down. What is its area?
3 of 3
A rectangle 5 across and 5 down. What is its area?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 2
A rectangle 7 across and 3 down. What is its area?
Question 2 of 2
What does area measure?
What You Learned
- Area is how much space a shape covers.
- It is measured by counting equal squares.
- The squares must fit with no gaps and no overlaps.