Here are some strategies for solving area problems:
Use multiplication
This is an efficient strategy for measuring the area of a rectangle. For example, if a rectangle is 3 units long and 5 units wide, you can use multiplication to find the area.
Use the area formula
The area of a rectangle is the length times the width. The area of a parallelogram is the base times the height. The area of a trapezoid is one-half the sum of the two bases times the height. The area of a circle is π times the square of the radius.
Break the area into known shapes
Calculate the area of each shape using its formula, then add the answers together to get the final answer.
Use a proportion
For example, the number of hours required to decontaminate a spill should be proportional to the area of the spill.
Use the surface area formula
For a rectangular prism, the surface area is A = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh, where l is the length, w is the width, and h is the height.
