Area Calculation Steps
The area of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying its length by its width.
Formula: Area = Length × Width
Example with Length = 5 cm and Width = 3 cm:
- Identify the length (5 cm) and width (3 cm)
- Multiply length by width: 5 cm × 3 cm = 15 cm²
- The area is 15 square centimeters
Perimeter Calculation Steps
The perimeter of a rectangle is the total distance around the outside, calculated by adding all sides.
Formula: Perimeter = 2 × (Length + Width)
Example with Length = 5 cm and Width = 3 cm:
- Identify the length (5 cm) and width (3 cm)
- Add length and width: 5 cm + 3 cm = 8 cm
- Multiply by 2: 2 × 8 cm = 16 cm
- The perimeter is 16 centimeters
Diagonal Calculation Steps
The diagonal of a rectangle can be found using the Pythagorean theorem.
Formula: Diagonal = √(Length² + Width²)
Example with Length = 5 cm and Width = 3 cm:
- Identify the length (5 cm) and width (3 cm)
- Square the length: 5² = 25
- Square the width: 3² = 9
- Add the squares: 25 + 9 = 34
- Take the square root: √34 ≈ 5.831 cm
- The diagonal is approximately 5.831 centimeters