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.
Related Calculations
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
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
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 |
FAQ
What is the formula for the area of a parallelogram?
Area of a parallelogram A = a · h
Where does this formula come from?
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.
What is the most common mistake here?
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.
How do I use this formula?
Put your own numbers in place of the letters. With a = 6.4, h = 3, for instance, the formula A = a · h gives = 19.2 square units.
See Also
- Area of a Circle Formula
- Area of a Hexagon Formula
- Area of a Regular Polygon Formula
- Area of a Rectangle Formula
- Area of a Rhombus Formula
- Area of a Circular Sector Formula
- Area of a Square Formula
- Area of a Trapezoid Formula
- Area of a Triangle Formula
- Circumference of a Circle Formula
- Diameter of a Circle Formula
- Perimeter of a Regular Polygon Formula
- Площадь параллелограмма
- Área del paralelogramo
- Área do paralelogramo