Lesson 18 — Activity 2: Measuring the Area of a Parallelogram
Completion requirements
Lesson 18 — Activity 2:
Measuring the Area of a Parallelogram
A parallelogram and a rectangle have much in common based upon their straight sides.
A parallelogram is a flat shape with opposite sides parallel and equal in length.
However, when you find the area of a parallelogram, it might be easier to first re-sketch your figure cleverly to help with the understanding.
As you can see, a parallelogram and a rectangle are very similar. A rectangle is a four-sided shape where every angle is right angle (90 degrees). As well, opposite sides of a rectangle are parallel (always the same distance apart) and are of equal length.
A parallelogram, on the other hand, has opposite sides
that are parallel and equal in length. To find the area of a parallelogram, use the formula below.
Remember! Just like when you find the area of a rectangle, the area of a parallelogram is also in square units.
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