The area of a rectangle is found using the formula:
In this formula, b is the length of the base of the rectangle and h is the height of the rectangle. The image below shows what we mean by the length of the base and the height:
How to Find the Area of a Rectangle
Finding the area of a rectangle is easy.
Question
What is the area of a rectangle with a base of 8 cm and a height of 5 cm, as shown below?
Step-by-Step:
1
Start with the formula:
Area = bh
Don't forget: bh = b × h
2
Substitute the length of the base and the height into the formula. In our example, b = 8 and h = 5.
Area = 8 × 5 = 40 cm2
Answer:
The area of the rectangle with a base of 8 cm and a height of 5 cm is 40 cm2.
"Find the Area" Widget
Here is a widget to help you learn the formulas to find the areas of different shapes.
Click on the shape you're learning about.
Click on the pad to start.
Follow the instructions in the bottom-left corner.
On the last click, the formula, workings, and answer will appear in the yellow box.
Good luck!
Lesson Slides
The slider below shows another real example of how to find the area of a rectangle.
What Is a Rectangle?
A rectangle is a flat shape with four straight sides and four right angles.
The opposite sides are parallel and of equal length. Adjacent sides are perpendicular and of unequal length.
A Note on Units
The area of a rectangle is a length times a length, so we say its dimension is length2. (All areas are lengths squared).
This affects the units used. If the lengths of a rectangle are in cm, the area is in cm2. If the lengths are in inches, the area is in inches2.