Parallelogram

A=

bh

The area formula for a parallelogram is the base multiplied by the height.
The height must be perpendicular to the base of the parallelogram, the
dotted line represents the height. The height will never be the slants of the
parallelogram. A parallelogram and a rectangle are very similar
quadrilaterals. Triangle AEF can be moved to the opposite side of the
parallelogram to create a rectangle (see picture below). It is because of this
similarity that the area formula for a parallelogram is the same as the area
formula for a rectangle.

Example Problem:

Triangle
A=

1
bh
2

The area formula for a triangle is half the base multiplied by the height. A
right triangle is half of a rectangle, and an obtuse triangle is half of a
parallelogram. All triangles will be half of either one of these two shapes
therefore the area of a rectangle is divided in half to get the area of a
triangle.

Example Problem:

Trapezoid
A=

1
h(b+ b)
2

The area formula for a trapezoid is half the height multiplied by the sum of
the bases (base one and base two). The height of the trapezoid must be
perpendicular to the bases. Two trapezoids put together create a
parallelogram (see picture below). The base of the parallelogram is
represented as (b + b ), and the area formula for the parallelogram is A=
h(b +b) . Because we are only finding half of the area of the parallelogram
when we are finding the area for a trapezoid, we have to multiply the area
by .

Example Problem:

Rhombus
A=

1
dd
2

The area formula for a rhombus is half of diagonal one multiplied by diagonal
two. The sides in a rhombus are congruent, and the diagonals bisect each
other creating four equilateral triangles. The area for one of these triangles
is A=bh. Where the base is of diagonal one and the height is of
diagonal two. Therefore, the area of one triangle is ()()()d d, which
simplifies to

1
8

d d . Since there are four equilateral triangles you can

multiply this formula to get the entire are of a rhombus, A= d d. The area
of a rhombus is the area of a triangle where the diagonals represent the
base and the height.

Example Problem:

Circle
A= r 2
The area formula for a circle is pi multiplied by the radius squared. If a

circle is folded and cut into several tiny sectors, and then the sectors are
placed front to end, the curves of the circle will eventually straighten out
forming a parallelogram. The area formula for a parallelogram is A=

bh

The height of the parallelogram is the radius of the circle. The base of the
parallelogram is half of the circumference of the circle, the other half of
the circumference is on the top. This now changes the formula from A= bh
to A=Cr. Once the formula for the circumference of the circle (C=2r) is
plugged into the equation you are left with the area formula for a circle A=
r.

Example Problem:

Geometry Area
Book
By: Hemaima Dill
Spring 2013
Mrs. Tummers