If a rectangle has a length of 8m and a width of 4m, what is the area of the rectangle?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer:
The area of the rectangle is 32 square meters (m²).
Explanation (300 words):
The area of a rectangle is a measure of how much space it covers on a flat surface. To calculate the area of a rectangle, you multiply its length by its width. This gives you the total number of square units that fit inside the rectangle.
The formula for the area of a rectangle is: Area=Length×Width\text{Area} = \text{Length} \times \text{Width}
In this case, the rectangle has:
- A length of 8 meters
- A width of 4 meters
Plugging the values into the formula: Area=8 m×4 m=32 m2\text{Area} = 8 \, \text{m} \times 4 \, \text{m} = 32 \, \text{m}^2
This means the rectangle covers an area of 32 square meters. Each square meter represents a 1m × 1m square, so 32 square meters means the rectangle could fit 32 of these 1m² squares within its boundaries.
Understanding area is useful in many real-world situations. For example, if you were laying carpet in a room that is shaped like this rectangle, you’d need enough carpet to cover 32 square meters. Similarly, if painting or tiling a rectangular surface, calculating the area helps determine how much material is required.
It’s also important to include units when writing the answer. Since both dimensions are in meters, the result is in square meters (m²). This helps avoid confusion, especially when comparing or converting measurements in different units such as square feet or square centimeters.
In summary, calculating the area of a rectangle is straightforward when you know the length and width. Just multiply them together to find out how much surface space the rectangle occupies. In this case: 32 m2\boxed{32 \, \text{m}^2}