Measuring Shapes: Calculating Area (1)

 The basic unit of area is a centimetre square.

Example 1

Calculate the area of this shape, made of centimetre squares and half squares.

Answer

There are 10 full squares and 2 half squares.

Area = 10 × 1 + 2 × 0.5 = 10 + 1 = 11 cm²

Example 2

Calculate the area of this shape, made of centimetre squares and half squares.

Answer

The area of a rectangle = length × width

Area of rectangle = 3 × 2 = 6 cm²

Area of triangle = 0.5 cm²

Area of shape = 6 + 0.5 = 6.5 cm²