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Area of a Parallelogram

(KS3, Year 7)

The area of a parallelogram is found using the formula:

area parallelogram formula

In this formula, b is the length of the base of the parallelogram and h is the height of the parallelogram. The image below shows what we mean by the length of the base and the height:

parallelogram bh

How to Find the Area of a Parallelogram

Finding the area of a parallelogram is easy.

Question

What is the area of a parallelogram with a base 8 cm and a height of 3 cm, as shown below?

Step-by-Step:

1

Start with the formula:

Area = bh

Don't forget: bh = b × h

2

Substitute the length of the base and the height into the formula. In our example, b = 8 and h = 3.

Area = 8 × 3 = 24 cm²

Answer:

The area of the parallelogram with a base of 8 cm and a height of 3 cm is 24 cm².

"Find the Area" Widget

Here is a widget to help you learn the formulas to find the areas of different shapes.

Click on the shape you're learning about.
Click on the pad to start.
Follow the instructions in the bottom-left corner.
On the last click, the formula, workings, and answer will appear in the yellow box.
Enjoy!

Lesson Slides

The slider below shows another real example of how to find the area of a parallelogram.

What Is a Parallelogram?

An ellipse is a squashed circle. A parallelogram is a flat, four-sided shape (a quadrilateral) whose opposite sides are of equal length and parallel.

parallelogram explained