Which formula gives the area of a rectangle?

Which formula gives the area of a rectangle?

• A. L x W = A
• B. W x H = A
• C. L + W = A
• D. A x B = A

Answer: (A)

The area of a rectangle is found by multiplying its two side lengths. If you lay the rectangle out as a grid of 1-by-1 squares, the total number of squares is the length multiplied by the width. That’s why the standard formula is length times width equals area. Using the two actual dimensions—length and width—directly gives the correct measure of enclosed space. Adding the sides would produce a linear distance, not area, so it doesn’t measure how much space is inside. Using different variable names (like A and B) isn’t tied to the rectangle’s actual dimensions, so it isn’t the proper expression for area.

The area of a rectangle is found by multiplying its two side lengths. If you lay the rectangle out as a grid of 1-by-1 squares, the total number of squares is the length multiplied by the width. That’s why the standard formula is length times width equals area. Using the two actual dimensions—length and width—directly gives the correct measure of enclosed space.

Adding the sides would produce a linear distance, not area, so it doesn’t measure how much space is inside. Using different variable names (like A and B) isn’t tied to the rectangle’s actual dimensions, so it isn’t the proper expression for area.