When it comes to learning about geometry, one of the most basic concepts that students learn is the difference between an area and a perimeter. The area is defined as the total amount of surface inside a given shape, while the perimeter is simply the distance around the outside of a shape. In this blog post, we will explore these concepts in more detail and give some examples of each. Stay tuned!
What is Area?
The area is a measure of the two-dimensional space within a shape. It is most often used to describe the size of a flat surface, such as a floor or a piece of paper. To calculate the area of a shape, you need to know its length and width.
For example, if you have a rectangular sheet of paper that measures 8 inches by 10 inches, its area would be 8 x 10, or 80 square inches. The area can also be measured in square units, such as square feet or square meters.
In the metric system, the standard unit of area is the square meter. One square meter is equal to 10,000 square centimeters, 100 square decimeters, or 1/1,000th of a hectare. The area is an important concept in geometry, and it can be used to solve problems involving other geometric objects such as circumference and perimeter.
What is Perimeter?
Perimeter is a term used in geometry to describe the length of the edge of a shape. It is essentially the “length” of the shape and is measured in linear units such as inches or centimeters.
The perimeter can be found by adding up the lengths of all the sides of a shape. For example, the perimeter of a square with sides that are each 4 inches long would be 4 + 4 + 4 + 4, or 16 inches. Perimeter is often used when considering things like fencing or other types of property boundaries.
After all, it’s important to know how much fencing you’ll need in order to enclose your property! It can also be useful for things like estimating the amount of carpeting you’ll need to buy for a room. So, next time you need to figure out how long something is around the edge, think “perimeter!”
Difference between Area and Perimeter
Area and perimeter are two concepts in geometry that are closely related, but they are not the same.
- The area is a measure of the amount of space inside a shape, while the perimeter is a measure of the length of the edge of a shape. In other words, the area is a two-dimensional measurement, while the perimeter is a one-dimensional measurement.
- Because of this, the perimeter is always going to be less than or equal to the area. For example, the perimeter of a square maybe 8 feet, but its area will be 16 square feet. Similarly, the perimeter of a circle maybe 10 feet, but its area will be about 78 square feet.
- This relationship between area and perimeter can be helpful when solving problems involving shapes. If the perimeter of a shape is known, you can use it to calculate the area. Conversely, if the area is known, you can use it to calculate the perimeter.
Knowing how to calculate both area and perimeter can be useful in many real-world applications, such as measuring rooms for flooring or estimating the amount of fencing needed for a property.
Conclusion
So, what is the difference between area and perimeter? The area is the measure of the inside space of a shape while the perimeter is the measure of the outside edge. In terms of squares and rectangles, both are used to calculate the length around a shape, but for other shapes like circles or ovals, only the perimeter would be used. Hopefully, this article has cleared up any confusion you may have had about these two measures!
