Chapter 16

Plane shapes (2)

Area

sofplaneshapes;basicunitsofmeasurementoflength;
approximation and estimation

The area of a shape is a measure of its surface. The square is used as the shape for the basic unit
of area. A square of side I m covers an area of
Exercise 16a (Group work) I square metre or 1 m2. A square of side 1 cm
(Fig. 16.2) covers an area of 1 square centimetre
Work in pairs. Taking turns, one student does the
or 1 cm2.
task and his/her partner checks the results.
Measure the area of the shapes in Fig. 16.1
by counting the squares that each shape
contains. If bits are left over, try to estimate
by adding them together to make whole
squares. Fig. 16.2

Area of a rectangle and a square

ffi
,ffiffi,ffiffiffi1
ffiffi,ffiffiffie! A 5 cm long by 3 cm broad can
rectangle be
Iffiffiffiffiffi divided into squares of side I cm as shown in
Fig. 16.3.
,kffiffi*ill
ffiffiffiffiffiM

W
a-5cm+,

I
3cm

Fis. 16.1 I
Fig. 16.3
2 Find a large leaf. Put the leaf on 1 cm2
squared paper and draw round it. Measure the
area of the leaf in cm2 by counting squares. By counting, the area of the rectangle = 15 cm2
Estimate the total number of parts of squares Notice also that 5 x 3 - 15;
as before. thus, in general:

3 Use the method of question 2 to find the area area of rectanBle = length x breadth
of your hand. (First draw round your hand on
graph paper.)

133
Example 1 Example 2
Calculate the area of o rectungle 6 cm b.y 3.5 cm. An assembly area is in the shape of tt 30 m bt,
Area of rectangle = (6 x 3.5) cm2 = 21 cm2 30m square. Part of' the areo i,r o conc:rete
rectangle 25 m b-1, 5 m; the rest is gra.rs. Calculate
A square is a rectangle whose length and breadth the area of the grass.
are equal. thus: Make a sketch of the assembly area as shown in
Fi-e. 16.4.
area of square = (length of side)2
30m
Exercise 1,6b
I Copy and complete the table for rectangles
(Table 16. l).

Table 16.1
I-ENGTH BREADTH AREA

(a) 3cm 2cm Fig. 16.4

(b) 5cm 4m
(c) 6m 2i^ Area of assembly area = (30 m)2 = 900 m2
Area of concrete - (25 x 5) m2
(d) 5.2 m 3m = 125 m2
(e) 2.1 cm 3.4 cm Area of grass = 900 m2 - 125 mz

(f) 4m
= I 15 m-
18 m2
(g) 5m 15 m- Example 3
(h) 3m 12 m2 The area of a rectangle is 24 cm2 and one side is
6 cm in length. Find its breadth and perimeter.
Breadth of rectangls - (24 = 6) cm = 4 cm
2 Copy and complete the table for squares Perimeter - 2(6 + 4) cm = 2 x 10 cm = 20 cm
(Table 16.2).

Table 16.2 Example 4

LENGTH OF SIDE
Calculate the area of the shape in Fig. 16.5. all
AREA
measurements are in metres and all angles are
(a) 6cm right angles.
(b) 9m
(c) 49 m2
(d) l6 cm2
(e) 1.2 m

(f) /.,
^l cm

Fig. 16.5

134
The shape can be splitintoa3by3square and Calculate the shadecl oreets in the diagrams in
6 by 10 and 2by 4 rectangles (Fig. 16.6). Fig. 16.8. All lengths are in centirnetres and
all angles are right angles. (The diagrams are
not drawn to scale.)

(a) (b) (c)

m. ffiffi,W
7

(d)

Fig. 16.6

Area = area of square + area of two rectangles 4

-(3x3+6x l0+2x4)m2
=(9+60+8)m2=77m2 Fig. l6.B

Exercise 16c A sheet is 2.15 m long and 1.6 m wide. What

1 Measure the length and width of this page to is the area of the sheet?
the nearest millinretre. Hence find the area of In a dining hall 25 m by 12 tn, an area 8 m
this page to the nearest square centirnetre. square is kept clear for cooking. What area is
2 Calculate the areas of the shapes in Fig. 16.7. left over fbr dining?
All lengths are in metres and all angles are A 12 m by 12 m square garden has a I m
right angles. wide path through the centre, parallel to one
side of the square. This is shown in Fig. 16.9.
(a) (b) (.) Calculate the area of garden left over for
l0 5 planting.
+ tr:l-=l
t2
tJL
(d) 12m
(0

.E; ,m
6

Fig. 16.9

Fig. 16.7

135
 A cardboard box is 20 cm long, 12 cm wide
and 8 cm deep (Fig. 16.10). Calculate the
total area of cardboard in the box.

Fig. 16.10

8
W
The box in question 7 1S cut down the edges
and flattened as shown in Fig. 16.11(a).
Fig. 16.12

Area of a parallelogram
The diagrams in Fig. 16.13 shorv how
parallelogram. P, can be changed to a rectangle,
R, by moving a triangle, T, fiom one end to the
any

other.
(b)
I I

_l L-
r-b+ +b+
-_l t--
tt Fig. 16.13
Fig. l6.l I
Draw a parallelogram on a sheet of graph
Calculate the area of the smallest single paper. Mark a triangle as in Fig. 16.13. Cut off
rectangle from which the box could be made, the triangle and rearrange the parallelogram to
i.e. calculate the area of the rectangle in Fig. form a rectangle.
16.11(b). What area would be wasted? What can you say about the area of the
parallelogram and the area of the rectangle?
9 Calculate the total area of the walls of a room
5 m long, 4 m wide and 2! m high. (Do not area of parallelogram, P = area of rectangle, R
allow for doors and windows.) =bxh
10 I litre of paint covers l5 m2. How many litres In the diagram, the height of the parallelogram
of paint will be needed to paint the walls of is h and its base is b. In general:
the room in question 9?
area of parallelogram = base x height
11 Calculate the area of the ceiling of the room
in question 9. How many 2i by I m ceiling A parallelogram can have two bases and two
boards will be needed to cover^ the ceiling of corresponding heights as shown in Fig. 16.14.
the room? Note that the height must be perpendicular to
the base.
12 A boy has 16 matchsticks. He lays them in
the shape of a rectangle (Fig. 16.12). Call (a) (b)
each matchstick a unit and find the perimeter
and area of the rectangle in units and units2. t- i;a)-
Use matchsticks or squared paper to show lf,
l'u
the different rectangles which the boy can t,.c {g
.o
make using all 16 matchsticks. Find the base
perimeters and areas of these rectangles.
What do you notice? Fig. 16.14 Area = bttse x height

136
Example 5 In each of the parallelograms in Fig. 16.t7
In Fig. 16.15, the base of the parallelogram is (numbers 6 to 8), calculate the height, /2.

6 cm long and its height is 4 cm. Calculate the

area of the parallelogram. If the length of the 6
9cm 7 Bcm
ctther side of the parallelogram is 8 cm, calculate
its corresponding height, h.

Area: 27 cm2 Area : 40 cm2

*{ I

!4cm
l
6cm

Fig. 16.15

Area : 28 m2
Area of parallelogram = (6 x 4) cmz
- 24 cmz Fig. 16.17
height=area+base
=(24=8)cm In each of the parallelograms in Fig. 16.18
=3ctn (numbers 9 to 1l), calculate the base, b.

Exercise 16d 10
Calculate the areas of the parallelograms in Fig.
16.16 (numbers I to 5). All dimensions are in cm.
I

l3 .- __J{t
I

Area : 15 cm2 Area : 48 cm2

& Fig. l6.l B

Area : 16 cm2

Fis. 16.16

137
In each of the parallelograms in Fig. 16.19 Any triangle
(numbers 12 to 15), calculate (a) the area, (b) the
height h or the base D. Any diagonal of a parallelogram divides it into
two equal triangles (Fig. 16.21).
13
t2
I

4cr,"l t{\ -/
qc/
--i \\ I
I

l0 cm Fig. 16.21
14

/-C-- Thus the area of each trian_sle is half the area of

I
I
NA,
t\
the parallelogranr (Fi_s.

-1
l6.2ll.

l+... \ \ I
I
I

L_____\_\ I

Fig. 16.19 bh
Fig. 16.22
Area of a triangle
Since, area of parallelogram = base x height,
Right-angled triangle area of triangle =Lx base x height
Any diagonal of a rectangle divides it into two Notice that any side of a trian_ele can be taken as
equal right-angled triangles (Fig. 16.20). Thus: base. Each base has its corresponding height.
area of a right-angled triangle
=ixlengthxwidth Example 6
=+xbasexheight Calcttlute the oreo of' tlte triort,qle ,sltrnnt in
Fig. 16.23.

hrl h/l

5cm

width base

Fis. 16.20
Fig. 16.23

The height is 5 crn. The corresponding base IS

8 cm. We do not need tlre 7 cm side.
Area of triangle =+xbasexheight
= (i x 8 x 5) cmr = 20 cmr

138
Example 7 Bxample 9
CoLcwlctte the 0reu o.f the triangle shown in Calcttlate the areu o.f the cluadrilateral ABCD in
Fig. 16.24. Fig. 16.26.

3cm

B 5cm C X 13 cm

Fis. 16.24 Fig. 16.26

Notice that the height from A to base BC falls The diagonal AC divides the quadrilateral into
outside the triangle. two triangles. The height of each triangle is 8 cm.
Area of A^',i heigh'l AX Area of AACB = (i x 13 x 8) cm2 = 52 cm2
Area of AACD = (i x 6 x 8) cm2 = 24 cm2
;i: :i,ffi Area of quadrilateral - (52 + 24) cm2 = 76 cm2

Example 8 Exercise 16e

Calutlute the urea o.f the quatlrilctteral ABCD in I Calculate the areas of the triangles in Fig.
Fig. 16.25. 16.27. All dimensions are in cm.

F-ig. 16.25 D

Notice that the diagonal AC divides the

quadrilateral into two right-angled triangles.
Area of AABC = (.i x20x 15) cm2 = 150 cm2
Area of A ADC = (i x 24 x7) cm2 = 84 cm2
Area of ABCD = ( 150 + 84) crn2 = 234 cm2

Fig. 16.27

139
 Calculate the areas of the quadrilaterals in Area of a trapezium
Fig. 16.28. In each case, draw a diagonal to
divide the shapes into two triangles. All In Fig. 16.29, ABCD is a trapezium with AB
dimensions are in cm. parallel to DC.

(a) (b)
!
h
I
I
\
D C
Fig. 16.29 b

The lengths of AB and DC are 0 and b

,,Zr 7
^A 3
respectively. Let their perpendicular distance
apart be h. Join AC.

Area of ABCD
= area of AABC + area of AACD
= *ah + |ttt
7 - |h1a + b) or |@ + b)h
The area of a trapezium is the product of the
4 7 average length of its parallel sides and the
(e) (f) perpendicular distance between them.
I I

Area of trapezium =
I

:l +l
I
I

f x (sum of parallel sides) x height

6 6
Example 10
Find the area of the trapeziunt in Fig. 16.30.
I

I
a
I

ls A
I

Fig. 16.28

Fig. 16.30

In Fig. 16.30, SP is parallel to RQ.

Area
'rPQRS

#:;i'.,,,i'='i', ^,
=
140
Example 11 In each of the trapeziums in Fig. 16.33, find
Ifthe areo of the trapez,ium in FiS. 16.31 ,s the value of x.
40* cmr, find the value of x.
(u) (b)
6cm xcm

xcm

6cm

8cm
(d) (e) 6cm
Fig. 16.31 Bcm
I

I xcm
Area of trapeziulfl = i@ * 8) x 6 cm2
l","
= 3(x + 8) cm2 '_)
Thus, 3(r + 8) = 40* area : 19 on2 erea : 43l. an2

r+8=++Z=t3i Fig. 16.33

x-13+-8=5i
Exercise 16f Everyday problems with area
1 Find the areas of the trapeziums in Fig. Tiles are often used to cover the floor of a room.
16.32. All dimensions are in cm. The number of tiles needed can be calculated
from the dimensions of the room. There is usually
(u) (b) some wastage since whole tiles and not fractions
or parts are sold.

Example 12
Square tiles,30 cm x 30 cm, are used to cover a
floor. How many tiles are needed.for a floor 4.4 m
long and 3.8 m wide?
Length of room = 4.4 m = 440 cm

Numberof tiles =# - l4i

Thus l5 tiles are needed aiong each length of the
Fig. 16.32 room. (The last tile will be cut.)
Width of room = 3.8 m = 380 cm
380 t)?
- 30 --
Number of tiles LL3

Thus 13 tiles are needed across each width of the

room.
Total number of tiles needed = l5 x 13
= 195

t41
Exercise 169 The walls of zr bathroom 2.5 m long, 2.05 m
1 How many tiles, each 30 cm by 30 cm, will wide and 3 m high are to be covered with
be needed for floors with the following tiles 15 cm by 15 cm. If-a saving of 108 tiles
dimensions? is made on doors and windows. how many
(a) 6mby42m (b) 3.6mby3m tiles will be needed altogether'/ (Note that
(c) 5mby4.2m (d) 9mby6.2n some tiles will have to be cut.)
(e) l0 m by 8.4 rn (f) 5.2 m by 4.1 m A rectangular area, 8.55 rn long by 5.89 m
2 Square polystyrene tiles, 50 cm by 50 cm, are wide, is to be paved with the largest possible
used to cover the ceiling of a classroom square tiles which will fit in exactly.
measurin g 7 .4 m by 4.5 m. (a) Calculate the Iength of the side of one tile.
(a) Find the number of tiles that are needed. (b) How many tiles will there be'l (Hint:
(b) Find the cost at 65c per tile. express 855 and 589 as produc:ts ol' prime
numbers.)
3 An open rectangular box, I m long, 70 cm
wide and 50 crn deep is painted inside and Using the data of Exan-rple 12. divide the errea
outside. Find the cost at $ 1.50 per m2. of the floor of the room by the area of one
tile. What do you notice?
4 How many paving stones, each I m long and
Can you explain the difference? It might help
80 cm wide, are needed to cover an area
13.6 m long and ll m wide?
if you try to cover a graph page 10 cm long
by 9 cm wide with square tiles 3 cm x 3 crn.
5 Fig. 16.34 is a sketch of a building with a
corrugated iron roof.

Summary
The area of a shape is a measlrre of its surface.
The fbllowing are the areas of some plane shapes:
area of rectangle = length x breadth
area of square = (length of side)2
area ol'parallelogram = brise x height
area of triangle = ] base x height
area of trapezium
Fig. 16.34 = j lsum of parallel sides)
x perpendicular distance between them
Ifcorrugated iron is sold in sheets measuring
2 m by 60 cm, find the number of sheets that
are needed for the building.

t42