Perimeter, Area, and Volume: Definitions
Perimeter
- measures the distance along a two-dimensional polygon
- It is measured using units (i.e. inches, centimeters, meters, etc.)
- To find the perimeter of a polygon, you use one dimension of a shape: the length of each side
- In general, to find the perimeter of a polygon you add the length of each side
For example, to find the perimeter of the trapezoid below, you would add the length of each side
Area
- measures the distance inside two-dimensional polygons
- It is measured using square units (i.e. inches², feet², meters², etc.)
- To find the area of a polygon, you use two dimensions of a shape: the base of the shape and its height
- In general, to find the area of a polygon you multiply the base and height
For example, to find the area of the rectangle below, you would multiply its base and height
Volume
- measures the space inside three-dimensional figures
- It is measured using cube units (i.e. inches³, feet³, meters³, etc.)
- To find the volume of a shape, you use three dimensions of a shape: the length of the shape, the width of the shape and its height
- In general, to find the volume of a shape you multiply the area of its base and its height
For example, to find the volume of the prism below, you would multiply the area of its base with its height
Task: Definitions