Area Math Problems and Tests for Kids

How Do I Find the Area in Math Problems?

The area of a rectangle is the product of length and width, which is also sometimes called base and height. Written as an equation, it looks like this: A = l x w. The area of an object is labeled as a square unit. For instance, if a rectangle has a length of three inches and a width of four inches, then the area would be 12 square inches. Remind your child to label every answer on tests because sometimes teachers take off points for answers that aren't labeled, even if the answers are correct.

As your child advances through her study of math, she will be introduced to more challenging shapes, like parallelograms, circles and triangles. These shapes require alternate equations to calculate the area. The area of a triangle, for instance, is A = 1/2 (b)(h). For a triangle that has a base of five feet and a height of two feet, the equation would look like this: A = 1/2 (5)(2), which equals 5 sq. ft. For tests, teachers sometimes provide these equations because there are so many to remember.

Practice Test

Area Equations

Area of a rectangle = l x w

Area of a parallelogram = b x h

Area of a circle = pi (r^2)

Area of a triangle = 1/2 (b)(h)

Problems

1. Calculate the area of a triangle whose base is five centimeters and whose height is eight centimeters.

2. A parallelogram's base is 70 millimeters (mm) long. Its height is 30 mm high. What is the area of the parallelogram?

3. If a circle has a diameter of four meters, what is its area?

4. A triangle has a base of 11 inches and a height of two inches. A rectangle has a base of four inches and a height of 14 inches. A circle has a radius of seven inches. Which shape has the largest area?

5. Melanie's bedroom is nine feet by 13 feet long. How much carpeting does she need to buy to cover the area of her room?

Answers

1. The area of the triangle is 20 sq. cm.

2. The parallelogram has an area of 2,100 sq. mm.

3. To solve this problem, you first have to determine the circle's radius, which is half of its diameter. Because the diameter is four meters, the radius is two meters. Then, plug this number into the equation, like this: A = pi (2^2). The answer is approximately 12.57 sq. m.

4. In order to figure out which shape has the largest area, you must calculate the area for all three shapes. Beginning with the triangle, the equation should look like this: A = 1/2 (11)(2), which equals 11 sq. in. The area of the rectangle is A = (4)(14) = 56 sq. in. Finally, the circle's area is A = pi (7^2) = approximately 154 sq. in. Thus, the circle has the largest area.

5. Melanie must buy 117 sq. ft. of carpeting.