The Lesson

The area of a parallelogram is found using the 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:

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.

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.