Area of a Parallelogram Formula
Geometry Formulas: Area, Volume, Perimeter
What is the formula for the area of a parallelogram?
Answer
Area of a parallelogram
A = a · h
Here a is the side (or base), h is the height, perpendicular to the base. The result comes out in square units.
Where the formula comes from
A = a · h
Cut the triangle off one end of the parallelogram and move it to the other end: what is left is a rectangle of base a and height h. Nothing was added or removed, so the areas are equal.
Worked examples
Let a = 9, h = 5. Then the area of a parallelogram = 45 square units.
Let a = 6.4, h = 3. Then the area of a parallelogram = 19.2 square units.
The common mistake
Multiplying the two sides. A parallelogram is not a rectangle: the second side is longer than the height, and using it inflates the area. Only the perpendicular height counts.
Found an error in the calculation or the information?
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See Also
- Square Footage Calculator - Width × length in feet to square feet
- Square Feet to Square Meters (Sq Ft to Sq M) - Convert Square Feet to Square Meters
- Square Meters to Square Feet (Sq M to Sq Ft) - Convert Square Meters to Square Feet
- Gravel Calculator - Area to cubic yards, tons and coverage
- Topsoil Calculator - Cubic yards, weight and coverage for any area
- Multiplication Facts - Any two numbers from 1 to 9, with the working shown
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Values from the Formula (h = 5)
| If a = | Area |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5 square units |
| 2 | 10 square units |
| 3 | 15 square units |
| 4 | 20 square units |
| 5 | 25 square units |
| 10 | 50 square units |
Geometry Formulas: Area, Volume, Perimeter
These are the formulas for the area, perimeter, circumference, volume and surface area of the standard shapes — 31 of them. Each page shows not only the formula but where it comes from, what every letter stands for, two worked examples and the mistake that this particular shape invites. For example, it can help you find out what is the formula for the area of a parallelogram? (The answer is: A = a · h). Pick the pair — "Area of a circle", for instance — and hit the "Find out" button.
Geometry Formulas: Area, Volume, Perimeter