Area

MATHEMATICS: Area (BASIC 1)

Core Concepts

Hello, brilliant learners! Today, we will discover what Area means in Mathematics.

What is Area?
Area is the amount of space inside a flat shape. Imagine you have a book; the flat surface you can see on its cover has an area. It tells us "how much surface" a shape covers. Different shapes can cover different amounts of space.

How Do We Measure Area?
We measure area by counting how many small, equal squares fit perfectly inside a shape. These small squares are called "unit squares." When we count them, our answer will always be in "square units."

Think of a chessboard: each small square on the board is a unit square. The area of the chessboard is the total number of these small squares.

Let's Find the Area!

Example 1: Finding the Area of a Rectangle
Imagine a rectangle drawn on grid paper. Each tiny square on the grid paper is 1 unit square.

Let's say our rectangle is 3 squares long and 2 squares wide.

• First, count the squares in the top row: 1, 2, 3 squares.
• Next, count the squares in the bottom row: 1, 2, 3 squares.
• Now, count ALL the squares together: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 squares.

So, the area of this rectangle is 6 square units. We write it as "6 square units" because we counted 6 small squares.

Example 2: Finding the Area of a Square
Now, let's look at a square. Remember, a square has all its sides equal in length.

Imagine a square drawn on grid paper that is 2 squares long and 2 squares wide.

• Count the squares in the first row: 1, 2 squares.
• Count the squares in the second row: 1, 2 squares.
• Count ALL the squares together: 1, 2, 3, 4 squares.

The area of this square is 4 square units. We counted 4 small squares inside it.

Real-World Example & Home Practice

When workers lay floor tiles in a room, they are covering the floor's area. Each tile covers a small unit of area. At home, you can estimate the area of a small table by covering it with identical sheets of paper and counting how many sheets you used.

Practice/Reflection Question

On a grid paper or in your exercise book, draw a shape that has an area of 7 square units. Can you draw a different shape that also has an area of 7 square units?