Difference between Area and Perimeter

In math, area and perimeter are key concepts in geometry. Area tells you how much space is inside a shape's boundaries, while perimeter is the total distance around its edge. These ideas are important for students in grades 4 to 8 and lay the foundation for more complex geometry. This article explains the differences between area and perimeter and how to find them for different shapes.

Introduction

Area and perimeter are two different ideas in math that are related but mean different things. Area measures how much space is inside a shape, while perimeter measures the length around the shape's edge. Knowing how to find both area and perimeter is really important for many math problems, especially in building and designing things.

Also Check: 4X4 Matrix Determinant | Determinant of Matrix  | Determinants and Matrices

Understanding Area and Perimeter

Area: Area is the size of a flat space and is measured in square units like square feet, square inches, or square meters. To find the area, you multiply the length and width of the shape. For example, if a square has sides that are each 5 inches long, its area is 25 square inches (5 x 5 = 25).

Perimeter: Perimeter is the distance around the edge of a shape and is measured in regular linear units like inches, feet, or meters. To find the perimeter, you add up all the lengths of its sides. For instance, if a rectangle has sides that are 5 inches and 3 inches long, its perimeter is 16 inches (5 + 5 + 3 + 3 = 16).

Diffrence Between Area and Perimeter

The key difference between area and perimeter lies in what they measure in a shape. Area tells us how much space is inside a shape, while perimeter measures the total length around the shape's boundary. Area is given in square units like square inches or square meters, while perimeter is in linear units like inches or meters. Also, the way we calculate area depends on the shape's specific formula, whereas the formula for perimeter remains the same for all shapes.

 

Concept

Area

Perimeter

Definition

The amount of space occupied by a 3D shape.

The total length of the sides of a 2D shape.

Formula

Depends on the shape, for example: square = side x side, rectangle = length x width.

Sum of all sides, for example: square = 4 x side, rectangle = 2 x (length + width).

Unit of Measurement

Square units, for example: square meters, square centimeters.

Linear units, for example: meters, centimeters.

 

Area and Perimeter of Different Shapes

Here are the formulas for calculating the area and perimeter of some common shapes:

Shape

Area (square units)

Perimeter (units)

Square

side × side

4 × side

Rectangle

length × width

2(length + width)

Circle

2πr

πr2

Equilateral Triangle

side + side + side

(1/2) × base × height

Parallelogram

2 × (sum of two adjacent sides)

base × height

Rhombus

(1/2) × diagonal1 × diagonal2

4 × side

 

Solved Examples

To help understand how area and perimeter calculations work, consider the following solved examples. 

Example 1: A square has a side length of 6 cm. What are its area and perimeter?
Answer: The area of the square is A = s2 = 62 = 36 cm2. The perimeter of the square is P = 4s = 4 x 6 = 24 cm.

Example 2: The rectangular plot has a 13-meter length and a 12-meter width. Calculate the plot's area and perimeter.
Answer: Given, Length = 13 meter
Width = 12 meter
Therefore, Area = length x width = 13 x 12 = 156 sq. meter
Perimeter = 2 (length + width) = 2 x (13 + 12) = 2 x 25 = 50 meter.

Real Life application of Area and Perimeter

Many things we do every day involve figuring out how much space something takes up and how long its edges are. From grades 4 to 8, students can use these ideas to understand the world and solve problems.

In grade 4, students start learning how to find the area (space inside) and perimeter (distance around) of rectangles and triangles. They might use this to know how much paint or carpet is needed for a room, or how big a soccer field should be. They can also use it to measure the perimeter of a garden for a fence.

By grade 5, students use these ideas to make models of real things, like houses, using the right measurements. They might also plan gardens and grow plants using these calculations.

In grade 6, students learn to find the surface area (how much space the surface covers) of 3D shapes, like cubes. This helps them figure out how much material they need to build a model. They also learn to find the distance around a circle to know how much wire is needed for a circular fence.

In grade 7, students use these ideas to find the area of more complicated shapes, like hexagons, to plan things like a backyard gazebo. They also calculate the distance around circles to plan the size of a playground.

By grade 8, students use these ideas to find the area and perimeter of bigger areas, like a pool. They might also use them to figure out the area of unusual shapes, like lakes, and predict how high the water will be.

Area and perimeter are basic ideas in geometry that help measure shapes and figures. Area is the total space inside a shape, and perimeter is the length around its edges. Area is measured in square units, while perimeter is measured in regular units.

Related Links

Frequently Asked Questions on Difference between Area and Perimeter

Area is the measure of how much space is inside a shape, like a rectangle or square. It's measured in square units, such as square meters (m²) or square centimeters (cm²).

Perimeter is the distance around the outside edge of a shape. It's measured in regular units like meters (m), centimeters (cm), inches (in), or feet (ft).

For example, the area of a rectangular field is found by multiplying its length and width together.

And for the perimeter of a rectangular field, you add up all its sides, which means you double the sum of its length and width.

The perimeter of a shape is the total distance around its outer edge. The area of a shape refers to the flat surface it covers in two-dimensional space. Meanwhile, the volume of a shape describes the amount of space it occupies in real life, especially for three-dimensional shapes.

Area means how much space a shape takes up. Perimeter means the distance around the edge of the shape. Shapes that have the same area can still have different perimeters, and shapes with the same perimeter can have different areas.

Area and perimeter are useful in everyday life for tasks like measuring the size of a room, planning the space around a garden, or putting a fence around a park. These calculations help us figure out how much space we have or need.