<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="1; url=/nojavascript/"> Area of a Parallelogram | CK-12 Foundation
You are reading an older version of this FlexBook® textbook: CK-12 Geometry Concepts Go to the latest version.

# 10.2: Area of a Parallelogram

Difficulty Level: At Grade Created by: CK-12
%
Best Score
Practice Area of a Parallelogram
Best Score
%

What if you wanted to find the area of a parallelogram? How does the area of a parallelogram relate to the area of a rectangle? After completing this Concept, you'll be able to solve problems like these.

### Guidance

Recall that a parallelogram is a quadrilateral whose opposite sides are parallel.

To find the area of a parallelogram, make it into a rectangle.

From this, we see that the area of a parallelogram is the same as the area of a rectangle. The area of a parallelogram is $A=bh$ . Be careful! The height of a parallelogram is always perpendicular to the base. This means that the sides are not the height.

#### Example A

Find the area of the parallelogram.

$A=15 \cdot 8=120 \ in^2$

#### Example B

If the area of a parallelogram is $56 \ units^2$ and the base is 4 units, what is the height?

Plug in what we know to the area formula and solve for the height.

$56 &= 4h\\14 &= h$

#### Example C

If the height of a parallelogram is $12 \ m$ and the area is $60 \ m^2$ , how wide is the base?

Solve for the base in $A=bh$ .

$60 \ units &= 12b\\5 \ units &= b$

Watch this video for help with the Examples above.

### Vocabulary

Perimeter is the distance around a shape. The perimeter of any figure must have a unit of measurement attached to it. If no specific units are given (feet, inches, centimeters, etc), write “units.” Area is the amount of space inside a figure. Area is measured in square units. A parallelogram is a quadrilateral whose opposite sides are parallel.

### Guided Practice

Find the area of the following shapes.

1.

2.

3. A parallelogram with a base of 10 m and a height of 12 m.

1. Area is $15(6)=90 \ un^2$ .

2. Area is $32(12)=672 \ un^2$ .

3. Area is $10(12)=120 \ m^2$ .

### Practice

1. Find the area of a parallelogram with height of 20 m and base of 18 m.
2. Find the area of a parallelogram with height of 12 m and base of 15 m.
3. Find the area of a parallelogram with height of 40 m and base of 33 m.
4. Find the area of a parallelogram with height of 32 m and base of 21 m.
5. Find the area of a parallelogram with height of 25 m and base of 10 m.

Find the area of the parallelogram.

1. If the area of a parallelogram is $42 \ units^2$ and the base is 6 units, what is the height?
2. If the area of a parallelogram is $48 \ units^2$ and the height is 6 units, what is the base?
3. If the base of a parallelogram is 9 units and the area is $108 \ units^2$ , what is the height?
4. If the height of a parallelogram is 11 units and the area is $27.5 \ units^2$ , what is the base?

Jul 17, 2012

Jun 11, 2014