Area · Year 6
In Year 6 you learn: area of triangles and parallelograms.
Area is the amount of flat space a shape covers, measured in square units such as cm² and m². Count the squares, or use the formula for the shape; a compound shape splits into simpler shapes.
Key facts
- Area is measured in square units: count the squares a shape covers.
- Rectangle: area = length × width; perimeter = 2 × (length + width).
- Triangle: area = ½ × base × perpendicular height.
- Parallelogram: area = base × perpendicular height.
- Compound shapes: split into rectangles (or subtract a missing piece). Use the same units throughout.
Worked examples
Example 1
Count the squares to find the area of the shape. Each square is 1 cm².
Answer: 7 cm²
Example 2
Find the area of a rectangle 5 cm long and 3 cm wide.
Answer: 15 cm²
Example 3
A rectangle is covered by 4 rows of 6 squares. Each square is 1 cm². What is its area?
Answer: 24 cm²
Example 4
Find the area of this L-shape. All corners are right angles; lengths are in cm.
Answer: 55 cm²
Example 5
A triangle has a base of 10 cm and a perpendicular height of 7 cm. Find its area.
Answer: 35 cm²
Example 6
A lawn 12 m by 8 m has a path 1 m wide all round it. Find the area of the path.
Answer: 44 m²