Area of rectangles

Hello, and welcome to Myriora Maths! How much carpet do you need to cover a floor? We measure the space inside a shape. That's called the area. Let's see how to find it.

Area is how many squares cover a shape. This rectangle is covered by squares one centimetre wide. Let's count them: there are twenty-four. So the area is twenty-four square centimetres.

But counting is slow. Look: there are four rows, with six squares in each row. Four times six is twenty-four. So the area is the length times the width!

We write square centimetres like this: c m with a little two. For bigger things, like a room, we use square metres.

For an L shape, cut it into two rectangles. Find each area, then add them. Six times two is twelve, and three times two is six. Twelve add six is eighteen square metres.

Let's try one together. A rectangle is five centimetres by three centimetres. What is its area? Say it out loud!

Five times three is fifteen. Fifteen square centimetres!

Here's a question that catches lots of people. A rectangle is six centimetres by four centimetres. What is its area? Some people add, and say ten. But area is the squares inside: four rows of six. Six times four is twenty-four square centimetres!

Your turn! A garden is eight metres long and five metres wide. What is its area? Pick the right card. You've got twenty seconds, or pause the video. Go!

Time's up! Eight times five is forty. Forty square metres!

Quick review. Area is how many squares cover a shape. For a rectangle, multiply the length by the width. Area is measured in square units, like square centimetres. For harder shapes, cut them into rectangles. See you next time!