17 Area

By studying this lesson you will be able to

² identify the units used to measure areas,
² find the areas of squares and rectangles using formulae,
² find areas of composite plane figures, and
² solve problems related to area

17.1 Area
You have learnt in grade 6 that the extent of a surface is called the area
of that surface. 1 cm × 1cm square
lamina
The area of a square lamina of side length 1 cm is
used as the standard unit to measure areas. This is
defined as one square centimetre and is denoted by
Area = 1 cm2
1 cm2.

Two birthday cards are shown in the figure. The extent of the surface of
each card is called the area of each picture.

(a) (b)

You can identify that the area of (b) is greater than the area of (a).
Do the following review exercise to recall the above facts which were
learnt in Grade 6.

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 Review Exercise

(1) Considering the area of a small square to be 1 cm2, find the area of
each of the figures given below.
(i) (ii) (iii)

17.2 More on units used to measure areas

The unit 1 cm2 is not sufficient to measure the areas of surfaces such as
walls, parapet walls, the floor of a classroom and flower beds. Even the
length measurements of such surfaces are obtained using metres and
not centimetres.
Consider a square shaped portion of a floor of side length 1 m. It is too
large to be drawn in a book. A reduced shape of such a surface is shown
in the figure.
1 m ×1 m
square lamina
The area of a square lamina of side length 1 m is one
square metre. This is denoted by 1 m2.

The area of the square shaped portion of the floor shown

in the figure is 1 m2. Do the following activity to gain Area = 1 m2
an understanding of the extent of a 1 m2 surface area.

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 Activity 1
Step 1 - Get a few newspapers, a pair of scissors, a meter ruler or a
measuring tape and some glue.
Step 2 - Paste the newspapers together appropriately and cut out a
square lamina of side length 1 m.
Step 3 - Cut out another square lamina of side length 1 cm.
Step 4 - What is the area of each square lamina you cut out?
Step 5 - Can you easily identify how many times the area of the small
square the area of the large square is?
By doing the above activity you would have realized that a surface area
of 1 m2 is very large compared to a surface area of 1 cm2.

Exercise 17.1
(1) The figure shows how the wall 1m
of a school has been divided into 1 m
square shaped and rectangular 1 m
2
shaped sections for paintings to
be done on them. What is the total surface area allocated for paintings
in square metres?
1
(2) What is the area of the figure shown here 2 m
which is made out of equal sized squares 1m
and equal sized rectangles?

17.3 Formulae for the area of a square and the area of a

rectangle
The rectangular lamina shown in the
figure which is of length 4 cm and breadth
3 cm
3 cm is divided into square laminas of
side length 1 cm. 1 cm
Since there are 12 small squares, the area
1 cm
of this rectangle is 12 cm2. The length of
this rectangle is 4 cm.
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 Number of squares in a row = 4
Number of rows = 3
.
. . Total number of squares = 4 × 3
= 12
. . . The area of the figure = 12 cm2
As the length of the rectangle is 4 cm and the breadth is 3 cm,
the area of the figure = (length × breadth) cm2
Based on the above explanation it is clear that the area of a rectangle can be
found using its length and its breadth, without counting the squares of area
1cm2. Do the following activity to establish this further.

Activity 2
Consider the length of each side of a small square into which each of
the shapes given below are divided, to be 1 cm. Copy and complete
the table based on these shapes.

(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e)

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 Number of Total
Number Specific name Area of the rectangle
Figure squares in number of Area
of rows of the figure = length × breadth
a row squares
a 3 5 Rectangle 3 × 5 = 15 15 cm2 3 cm × 5 cm = 15 cm2
b ....... ''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''' .......... ................
c ....... ''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''' .......... ................
d ....... ''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''' .......... ................
e ....... ''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''' .......... ................

² Formula for the area of a rectangle

It is clear from this activity that the area of the rectangle obtained by
counting the small squares can also be found using the length and the
breadth of the rectangle.
Now let us obtain a formula for the area of a rectangle of length l units
and breadth b units
l units
The area of the rectangle = length × breadth
. . . The area of the rectangle = l × b square units b units

If the area of a rectangle of length l units and breadth b units is A

square units, then A = lb.

² Formula for the area of a square

Let us similarly, obtain a formula for the area of a square.

The area of the square = length × breadth

= a × a = a2 a units
. . . The area of the square = a2 square units

a units

If the area of a square of side length a units is A square units, then A = a2

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Example 1
Find the area of the rectangular wall hanging of length 12 cm and
breadth 5 cm.
The area of a rectangle of length l and
}
breadth b = lb
. . . The area of the wall hanging = 12 × 5 cm2
= 60 cm2
Example 2
The length of a side of a square shaped car park is 30 m. Find the area
of the park.
The area of a square of side length a = a2
. . . The area of the car park of side length
= 30 × 30 m2
}
30 m
= 900 m2

Example 3
The breadth of a rectangular plot of land of area equal to the area of
another rectangular plot of land of length 12 m and breadth 3 m, is
4 m. Find the length of this plot of land.
The area of a rectangle of length l and breadth b = lb
The area of the rectangular plot of land of length
}
12 m and breadth 3 m = 12 × 3 m2
= 36 m2
The length of the plot of land of breadth 4 m = 36 ÷ 4 m
=9m
Let us take the length of the rectangular plot of land as l.
A = lb
36 = l × 4
4l = 36
l = 36 m = 9 m
4
∴ the length of the plot of land is 9 m'

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Exercise 17.2

(1) Find the area of each of the rectangular laminas given below.
(i) (ii) (iii)

5 cm
10 cm 7 cm
8 cm
9 cm

4 cm

(iv) (v) (vi)

50 cm 75 cm
8m
2m 1.5 m
12.5 m
(2) Find the area of each of the square laminas given below.

2 cm 9 cm 10 m 4.5 m
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

(3) The length of a rectangular plot of land is 9 m and its breadth is 4 m.

(i) Find the area of this plot of land.
(ii) Draw figures of two other plane shapes of the same area and
mark the dimensions on the figure.
(4) The floor of a classroom takes the shape of a square of side length
10 m.
(i) Find the area of the floor of the classroom.
(ii) Another classroom which has the same area as the above
classroom has a rectangular floor. If the breadth of the floor of
this classroom is 5 m, find the length of the floor.
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(5) The area of a flower bed is 36 m2. An incomplete table containing the
dimensions of several flower beds of the same area is given below.
Copy and complete the table.
Length Breadth Shape of the Perimeter of
Area (m2)
(m) (m) flower bed the flower bed

9 .............. 36 Rectangle ..........

18 .............. 36 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ..........
12 .............. 36 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ..........
6 .............. 36 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ..........

(6) The figure shows a shaded square shaped lamina

of side length 20 cm within which a square
20 cm
shaped lamina of side length 5 cm has been 5 cm
shaded white. Find the area of the region shaded
in blue in the figure.

(7) Two rectangular shaped parts of length 7 cm and 7 cm

breadth 3.5 cm have been shaded in white in the 3.5 cm
7 cm
square shaped piece of paper in the figure of area
3.5 cm
616 cm2. Find the area of the region shaded in pink.
(8) Find the area of the shaded region in each of the
following figures.
4 cm
5 cm

10 cm

5 cm 12 cm

10 cm 20 cm

17.4 Areas of composite plane figures

Composite plane figures that can be divided into several rectangles are
shown here.

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 Activity 3
Step 1 - From coloured paper, cut out the following shapes with the
given dimensions.
² 3 rectangles of length 5 cm and breadth 4 cm
² 3 rectangles of length 6 cm and breadth 3 cm
² 3 rectangles of length 4 cm and breadth 1 cm
² 3 squares of side length 2 cm
² 3 squares of side length 3 cm
Step 2 - Find the area of each of the above plane figures and write it
on the lamina.
Step 3 - Prepare 3 composite figures using 2 different laminas at a
time and paste them in your exercise book.
Step 4 - Prepare another 3 composite figures using 3 different shapes
at a time and paste them in your exercise book as well.
Step 5 - Find the areas of the pasted composite plane figures by
considering the areas of the rectangles and squares prepared
at the beginning of the activity, and write them next to the
relevant composite figure.
Step 6 - Write down the procedure of finding the area of a composite
figure.
Based on the above activity, the procedure of finding the area of a
composite plane figure can be expressed in 3 steps.
$ Divide the composite figure into sections which are squares and of
rectangles of which the area can be found.
$ Find the area of each divided section.
$ Find the sum of the areas.
Example 1 A 12 cm B

Find the area of the figure ABCDEF 8 cm

C D
based on the given measurements. 3 cm
F 15 cm E

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Method I
This figure can be divided into two sections as a rectangle of length
12 cm and breadth 8 cm and a square of side length 3 cm.
12 cm B
A
The area of rectangle 1 = 12 × 8 cm 2

= 96 cm2 8 cm 1 C D
The area of square 2 = 3 × 3 cm2 2 3 cm
= 9 cm2 F 15 cm E
.
. . The area of the whole figure = (96 + 9) cm2

= 105 cm2
Method II
The area of the above figure can also be A
12 cm B

found by dividing it into two rectangles, 2

where one is of length 15 cm and breadth 8 cm C D
3 cm and the other is of length 12 cm and 1 3 cm
F 15 cm E
breadth 5 cm.
2
The area of rectangle 1 = 15 × 3 cm
= 45 cm2
The area of rectangle 2 = 12 × 5 cm2
= 60 cm2
. . . The area of the whole figure = 45 + 60 cm2
= 105 cm2

Exercise 17.3
(1) Several composite figures that can be separated into rectangles are
shown here. Copy the given figures in your exercise book and find
the area of each figure.
(i) (ii) 7 cm (iii) 4 cm
1 cm 2 cm
3 cm
5 cm
3 cm 5 cm
8 cm
6 cm
2 cm
1 cm
2 cm 4 cm

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(2) Find the
3m
(i) area and
(ii) perimeter of the given figure. 4m

(3) 8 cm 8 cm 2m

2 cm 1 cm
4 cm
6 cm 7 cm
2 cm
^a& ^b&

(i) Find the area of figure (a) and figure (b) separately.
(ii) Is the area of figure (a) equal to the area of figure (b)?
(iii) Find the perimeter of figure (a) and figure (b) separately.
(iv) Is the perimeter of figure (a) equal to the perimeter of figure (b)?
3m
(4) Find the area of the plot of 1m 5m
land given in the figure. 4m 2m
4m

8m 3m
2m

4m

(5) It is proposed to lay tiles on a rectangular floor of

length 6 m and breadth 4 12 m. It is required to select
a suitable tile from a square tile of side length 30 cm
and a square tile of side length 40 cm. The tiles are to be laid such that
the edges of the tiles are parallel to the walls.
(i) Write down which tile you will select to avoid any wastage.
Explain the reason for your selection.
(ii) Find the number of tiles that are required based on your selection.
17.5 Estimation of the areas of plane figures
Example 1 A B

The area of the shaded region in the figure is 6 cm2.

Estimate the area of the rectangle ABCD.
Area of a thin strip = 6 × 3 cm2 = 18 cm2 D C

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There are about 5 thin strips.
The area of 5 strips = 18 × 5 cm2
= 90 cm2
. . . The area of the rectangle ABCD is approximately = 90 cm2

Exercise 17.4
P Q
(1) PQRS is a rectangle. The area of the
shaded region in the figure is 120 cm2.
Find an approximate value for the area
of the rectangular lamina PQRS.

S R

(2) Based on the information given in the

figure,
(i) find the area of the shaded region. 2 cm
(ii) estimate the area of the whole figure. 3 cm

(3) It is required to lay concrete bricks along a straight

road of breadth 4 m to a distance of 100 m. The
top surface of a concrete brick is square shaped of
side length 40 cm. Estimate the minimum number
of concrete bricks required to pave the whole road.

Summary
² Square centimetre (cm2) and square metre (m2) are two units used
to measure areas.
² The area of a rectangle of length l units and breadth b units is lb
square units.
² The area of a square of side length a units is a2 square units.

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