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II.1 Find area using unit squares

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What is area?

Area is the amount of space inside a shape. We measure area by counting the number of unit squares that cover the shape without gaps or overlaps.

Examples:
  • A rectangle covered with 12 unit squares has an area of 12 square units.
  • A square covered with 9 unit squares has an area of 9 square units.
Note

Always measure area using square units, such as square inches, square centimeters, or generic unit squares.

How to identify area in shapes

To find the area, look inside the shape and count how many unit squares it takes to cover the shape completely.

Steps:
  • Draw or imagine the shape on a grid of unit squares.
  • Count the number of full unit squares inside the shape.
  • If all the squares are covered with no gaps or overlaps, that total is the area.
Note

Make sure each square you count is the same size. Mixing different sizes of squares does not give a correct area.

Finding area using unit squares

Unit squares are 1-by-1 squares. We use them to measure the area of shapes by counting how many unit squares fit inside.

Examples:
  • A rectangle that is 3 units long and 4 units wide is covered by 12 unit squares. Its area is 12 square units.
  • A square that is 5 units on each side is covered by 25 unit squares. Its area is 25 square units.
Note

You can count each unit square one by one, or multiply length × width if the shape is a rectangle.

Using area in real life

We use area to find out how much space something takes up on a flat surface. This helps in real-life situations like measuring floors, gardens, or walls.

Examples:
  • Finding how many square tiles are needed to cover a bathroom floor.
  • Measuring how many square feet of carpet are needed for a bedroom.
Note

When measuring in real life, always check the unit (like square inches, square feet, or square meters) to understand the size correctly.