Area, Perimeter, and Related Formulas

Purpose Formula
Area of a square A=sXs
Area of a square A = s2
Perimeter of a square P=s+s+s+s
Perimeter of a square P = 4s
Area of a rectangle A = lw
Perimeter of a rectangle P=l+w+l+w
Perimeter of a rectangle P = 2l + 2w
Area of a parallelogram A = bh
Perimeter of a parallelogram P=a+a+b+b
Perimeter of a parallelogram P = 2a + 2b
Area of a triangle A = ½bh
Perimeter of a triangle P=a+b+c
Pythagorean theorem c 2 = a2 + b 2
Area of a trapezoid A = ½(b1 + b2) X h
Perimeter of a trapezoid P = a + b 1 + b2 + c
Diameter of a circle d = 2r
Circumference of a circle C = 𝛑d
Circumference of a circle C = 2𝛑r
Area of a circle A = 𝛑r2
Volume of a rectangular solid V = lwh
Surface area of a rectangular solid S = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
Volume of a cube V=sXsXs
Surface area of a cube S = s 2 + s2 + s2 + s2 + s2 + s2
Surface area of a cube S = 6s2
Volume of a cylinder V = 𝛑r2h
Surface area of a cylinder S = 𝛑r2 + 𝛑r2 + 2𝛑rh
Surface area of a cylinder S = 2𝛑r2 + 2𝛑rh
Volume of a sphere V = 4/3 𝛑r3
Surface area of a sphere S = 4𝛑r2

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Area and Perimeter of a Square

Area = side X side (Since all sides of a square are equal, any two sides can be used.)
A=sXs

or

Area = side squared (Since all sides of a square are equal, the length of any one side can be used.)
A = s2

Perimeter = all four sides added together

P=s+s+s+s

or

Perimeter = 4 X side (Since all sides of a square are equal, adding the four sides together is the same
as taking 4 times the length of one side.)
P = 4s

Area of a square A=sXs

Area of a square A = s2
Perimeter of a square P=s+s+s+s
Perimeter of a square P = 4s

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Area and Perimeter of a Rectangle

Area = length X width

A = lw

Perimeter = the lengths of all sides added together

P=l+w+l+w

or

Perimeter = 2 X length + 2 X width (Since two lengths of a rectangle are always equal, and 2 widths of
a rectangle are always equal, you can also multiply 2 times the length and 2 times the width and
then add the answers together.)
P = 2l + 2w

Area of a rectangle A = lw
Perimeter of a rectangle P=l+w+l+w
Perimeter of a rectangle P = 2l + 2w

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Area and Perimeter of a Parallelogram

Area = base X height

A = bh

Perimeter = the lengths of all four sides added together

P=a+a+b+b

or

Perimeter = 2 X side a + 2 X side b (Since two lengths of a parallelogram are always equal, and 2
widths of a parallelogram are always equal, you can also multiply 2 times side a and 2 times side b
and then add the answers together.)
P = 2a + 2b

Area of a parallelogram A = bh
Perimeter of a parallelogram P=a+a+b+b
Perimeter of a parallelogram P = 2a + 2b

a h

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Area and Perimeter of a Triangle and Hypotenuse of a Right Triangle

Area = 1/2 the base X the height

A = ½bh

Perimeter = since they may all be different, you must add the lengths of the three sides together
P=a+b+c

Hypotenuse = the line opposite the right angle in a right triangle (a triangle in which there is one
right angle).

Pythagorean Theorem = c2 = a2 + b2. This formula helps you find the length of any side of a right
triangle if you know the lengths of the other two sides.

Area of a triangle A = ½bh

Perimeter of a triangle P=a+b+c
Pythagorean theorem c 2 = a2 + b 2

a c c (hypotenuse)
a
h

b b

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Area and Perimeter of a Trapezoid

Area = 1/2 of the base X the height (The bases of a trapezoid are two unequal parallel sides, so you
must add them together and divide by 2 to get an average. This is the base figure you use to
multiply times the height.)
A = ½(b1 + b2) X h

Perimeter = a + b1 + b2 + c (Since the sides of a trapezoid can all be different, you must add the
length of each side together.)
P = a + b 1 + b2 + c

Area of a trapezoid A = ½(b1 + b2) X h

Perimeter of a trapezoid P = a + b 1 + b2 + c

b1

a c
h

b2

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Circle

Remember that:
• The radius is the distance from the center of the circle to any point on the circumference of
the circle.
• The circumference is the distance around the outside of a circle.
• The diameter is the distance between two points on the circumference of the circle, passing
through the center.
• Pi = the ratio of the circumference to its diameter. The ratio is shown by the symbol 𝛑, which
is the Greek letter pi, and is the same for any circle. The value used for pi (𝛑) depends upon
how many decimal places you want to use. Pi is commonly equal to 3.14 or 3.1416.
Sometimes 3.14159 is used.

Diameter = twice the length of the radius

d = 2r

Circumference = pi (𝛑) times the diameter of the circle or pi (𝛑) times twice the radius of the circle
C = 𝛑d
or
C = 2𝛑r

Area = pi (𝛑) times the radius of the circle squared

A = 𝛑r2

Diameter of a circle d = 2r
Circumference of a circle C = 𝛑d
Circumference of a circle C = 2𝛑r
Area of a circle A = 𝛑r2

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Rectangular Solid

Volume = length X width X height (A rectangular solid is sometimes called a rectangular prism.
Multiplying the length (l) times the width (w), times the height (h) gives the volume.)
V = lwh

Surface Area = 2(length X width) + 2(length X height) + 2(width X height)

To find surface area, you must find the area of all of the rectangles on the surface of the figure. You
can see that a rectangular solid is made up of 6 rectangles. The area of one of the rectangles would
be found by multiplying the length (l) times the width (w). There are 2 of these rectangles, so you
have 2lw. The area of the second rectangle would be found by multiplying the length (l) times the
height (h). You have 2 of these rectangles, so you have 2lh. The area of the last rectangle is found by
multiplying width (w) times the height (h). You have 2 of these rectangles, so you have 2wh. By
adding these values together, you have the area of all 6 rectangles, which is the surface area of the
rectangular solid.)
S = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh

Volume of a rectangular solid V = lwh

Surface area of a rectangular solid S = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Cube

Volume = s X s X s (A cube is a solid made of 6 squares which are all the same size. You find the
volume the same way you do for a rectangular solid—the length (l) times the width (w), times the
height (h) gives the volume. However, since the length, width, and height of a cube are all the same
measurement, the measurements can be called “side” and be shown as side (s) X side (s) X side (s).
This is also written as side3.)
V=sXsXs

or

V = s3

Surface Area = 6 times the area of one side (s 2) (Since the surface of a cube is made up of 6 squares,
you need to find the area of each of the squares and add them together to get the surface area of
the cube. Since each of the squares are the same size in a cube, the area for each will be the same.
This means you can add the area of all 6 squares together or multiply the area by 6.
S = s2 + s2 + s2 + s2 + s2 + s2

or

S = 6s2

Volume of a cube V=sXsXs

Volume of a cube V = s3
Surface area of a cube S = s2 + s2 + s2 + s2 + s2 + s2
Surface area of a cube S = 6s2

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Cylinder

Volume = 𝛑r2 X height (The volume of a cylinder is found by finding the area of the circle at the top
or bottom of the cylinder (𝛑r2) and multiplying it times the height of the cylinder.)
V = 𝛑r2h

Surface Area = 2𝛑 radius2 + 2𝛑 radius X height (Since the cylinder is a circular object, it is necessary
to find the area of the circle at the top of the cylinder, the area of the circle at the bottom of the
cylinder, and the area of the section between the two circles. The area of each of the two circles is
found by the formula 𝛑r2 and is added two times since there are 2 circles. The area of the section
between the two circles is found by using the formula for the perimeter of the circle and multiplying
it times the height of the cylinder (2𝛑rh). When you add these areas together, you get the surface
area.)
S = 𝛑r2 + 𝛑r2 + 2𝛑rh

or

S = 2𝛑r2 + 2𝛑rh

Volume of a cylinder V = 𝛑r2h

Surface area of a cylinder S = 𝛑r2 + 𝛑r2 + 2𝛑rh
Surface area of a cylinder S = 2𝛑r2 + 2𝛑rh

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com
 Sphere

Remember that:
• The radius is the distance from the center of the circle to any point on the circumference of
the circle.
• The circumference is the distance around the outside of a circle.
• The diameter is the distance between two points on the circumference of the circle, passing
through the center.
• Pi = the ratio of the circumference to its diameter. The ratio is shown by the symbol 𝛑, which
is the Greek letter pi, and is the same for any circle. The value used for pi (𝛑) depends upon
how many decimal places you want to use. Pi is commonly equal to 3.14 or 3.1416.
Sometimes 3.14159 is used.

Volume = 4/3 X pi X radius cubed

V = 4/3 𝛑r3

Surface Area = 4 X pi X radius squared

S = 4𝛑r2

Volume of a sphere V = 4/3 𝛑r3

Surface area of a sphere S = 4𝛑r2

www.homeschoolgiveaways.com