Formulas for the Area of a Figure

Date: 3/23/96 at 0:24:42
From: Anonymous
Subject: Puzzled

I am in 8th grade and I have 1 week left in Geometry and I still 
can't get how to find the area of a figure?! 

Can you PLEASE help? I am truly puzzled!

Date: 3/24/96 at 15:9:54
From: Doctor Steven
Subject: Re: Puzzled

Well, it really depends on the figures you want to find the area 
of.

The formula for finding the area of a rectangle is side*side.

The formula for finding the area of a triangle is 
(1/2)*base*height.

The formula for finding the area of a parabola is 
(2/3)*base*height.

The formula for finding the area of a circle is pi*radius^2.

If you want to find the area of a regular polygon, say a hexagon 
(6 sides), divide it into 6 equal triangles, then find the area of 
one triangle.  

The area of the hexagon is 6*(area of triangle).

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

-Doctor Steven,  The Math Forum