Lecture Notes (Worksheet #2)

Areas
In mathematics the area of a plane figure refers to the number of square units the figure covers.
There are various formulae that are used to calculate area but the one to be used will depend on
the shape given. The box below shows various shapes and the formula to be used to calculate
the area of that given shape.

Length (L)
Width (W)

Area = L x w

Rectangle

Height (h)

Area = b x h
2

base (b)

a
Trapezium

Trapezium

Area = 1 (a + b) x h
2

Area = r2 where
= 3.14 or 22 and r is the radius of the circle. The diameter (d)
7
is twice the radius.

Example 1
Calculate the area of each of the following shapes
(a)

10cm

(b)

12cm

8 cm

11cm

16cm

14cm

SOLUTION
(a) Method 1
Here we will cut the shape into a rectangle and a triangle and then sum the two areas to get
the area of the given shape.
10cm
Area of
+ Area of

8cm

10cm

6cm

= 10cm x 8cm = 80cm2

= 6cm x 8cm = 24cm2
2

Total area

= 104cm2

Method 2
Here we will make a diagonal cut thus forming two triangles A and B.

10cm
A
8cm

B
16cm

A = 10cm x 8cm
= 40cm2
2
+ Area of
B = 16cm x 8cm = 64cm2
2
Total area
= 104cm2
Area of

Method 3
Noting that the given shape is a trapezium, we may apply the trapezium formula:
Area = (10cm + 16cm) x 8cm
= x 26cm x 8 = 104cm2

(b)

12cm

11cm

14cm
We may either cut this trapezium given into two triangles by making a diagonal cut or simply
apply the formula for the area of a trapezium.

Using the formula Area = (12cm + 14cm) x 11cm

= x 26 cm x 11cm = 143cm2
2

Example 2
Calculate the area of the following shapes:
(a)

(b)
6cm
6cm

(c)
10cm

16cm

(d)

10cm

(e)

4cm

6cm

6cm
SOLUTIONS
(a) Area of a circle = x r x r or r2 where = 3.14 or
Area of circle = 3.14 x 6cm x 6cm = 113.04cm2
(b) Note that 10cm is the diameter. However, to use the formula fo the area of the circle we
must first identify the radius. Here the radius =

= 5cm

Now we can find the area of this circle as follows: Area = 3.14 x 5cm x 5cm = 68.5cm2
(c) Please note the following:
16cm represents the diameter. Since however the formula requires the radius value we
will need to find this value first. Radius =

(i)

= 8cm

Since we only have half of a circle we will need to take the areas formula and
divide by 2. That the formula now becomes:
Area =
Area of half circle =

= 100.48cm2

(d) Here we will need to cut this shape into a rectangle and half circle.
10cm
4cm

Note that the 4cm represents the width of the rectangle as well as the diameter
measurement for the half circle. The radius =

=2cm

= 40cm2

Area of

= 10cm x 4cm

Area of

Total area

= 40cm2 + 6.28cm2 = 46.28 cm2

= 6.28cm2

(e) Area of quarter circle =

= 28.26cm2

Example 3
Calculate the area of the shaded region if the if the radius of the smaller circle is 8 cm and that for the larger
circle is 12 cm

SOLUTION
We must find the area of the outer circle and then subtract the area of the unshaded circle in
order to arrive at the area of the shaded region.

Area of outer circle = 3.14 x 12 cm x 12 cm = 452.16 cm

Area of inner circle = 3.14 x 8 cm x 8 cm = 200.96 cm
Therefore of shaded region = 452.16 cm - 200.96 cm = 251.2 cm

Example 4
Calculate the area of the shaded region

SOLUTION
Area of rectangle = 14 cm x 14 cm = 196 cm
Area of circle = 3.14 x 7 cm x 7 cm = 153.86 cm
Therefore of shaded region = 196 cm - 153.86 cm = 42.14 cm

Application of areas to tiling

Example 1
Determine the number of square tiles of 18 inches, which will be required to tile a floor which 1s
16ft long and 12ft wide. Add 5% extra tiles to your answer.
16ft
18in
Tile

12ft

Floor
Floo

18in

Note that the measurements for the floor are in feet while those for the tile are inches. First
decide which unit you will work with.
SOLUTIONS
NB: 1ft = 12 inches
Converting feet to inches, 16ft = 192in
While 12ft = 144 inches
Area of the floor = 192m x 144in = 27648in2
Area of 1 tile = 18in x 18in
Minimum number of tiles = 86
Extra tiles =

x 86 = 4 or 5

Total number required = 86 + (4 or 5) = 90 or 91

Example 2
Determine the number of square tiles of sides 16 inches which will be required to tile the floor
shown below. Add 10% extra tiles to your answer.
16ft 4in

14 ft

SOLUTION
Converting the floor measurements to inches: 14ft = (14 x 12) inches = 168 inches
16 ft 4in = (16 x 12) in + 4in = 196 in
Note that the radius of the semi circle =

= 84

Area of rectangular section of floor = 168 in x 196in

Area of half circle

Total floor area

=11,077.92 in

32,928 in +

= 32,928in

11,077.92 in

= 44,005.92in
5

Area of 1 tile = 16in x 16in = 256in2

Minimum number of tiles =

Extra tiles =

x 172

= 172

17

Total tiles required = 189

Volumes
Volume is the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by a substance or an object. A unit of
volume is the description of the amount of space occupied, such as the number of litres, gallons,
cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic meters, etc., that the substance or object occupies.

Example 1
Calculate the volume of each of the following:
(a)

(b)
10cm

8cm

100cm

6cm
10cm
SOLUTION
(a) Volume of cuboid = length x width x height
= 10cm x 6cm x 8cm
= 480cm3
(b) Volume of cylinder = r2 x h
= 3.14 x 10cm x 10cm x 100cm
= 31400cm3
Example 2
Calculate in litres, the amount of water required to fill the following containers
Note that 1000cm3 = 1 litre
(a)

(b)
20cm

1m
50cm
40cm
1.2m

SOLUTIONS
(a) Volume in cm3 = 3.14 x 10cm x 10cm x 50cm = 15,700 cm3
6

Volumes in litres =

= 15.7

(b) We should first make all the units the same. Since 1m = 100cm
then 1.2m =1.2 x 100 = 120cm
Volume in cm3 = 100cm x 40cm x 120cm = 480,000cm3
Volume in litres = 480000 1000 = 480 litres

Example 3
You have recently built a circular swimming pool which has an average depth of 4ft. and a
diameter of 28ft.
(a) calculate in gallons, the amount of water required.(NB. 1 cubic foot = 7.5 gallons)
(b) The water costs $2.50 per 1000 gallons and the pumping system effects three water changes
per week. In addition, the maintenance worker charges $70 to clean the pool each week.
Calculate your total weekly cost.
SOLUTION
The swimming pool has the shape of a cylinder so we will need to use the appropriate formula
(a) Volume of swimming pool in ft = 3.14 x 14ft x 14ft x 4ft = 2461.76
Volume of swimming pool in gallons = 2461.76 x 7.5 = 18463.2

Thousands of gallons =

= 18.4632

(b) Since the water cost $2.50 per gallon and we have to get water 3 times then the cost of the
water = $2.50 x 18.4632 x 3 = $ 138.47
Total cost to the owner = Water cost + cost of maintenance worker
= $ 138.47+ $70 = $208.47

Perimeter / Circumference
The perimeter is the distance around a plane figure. If the shape being considered is a circle the
word circumference replaces the word perimeter, but they are basically the same concept. The
formula for circumference is as follows:
Circumference = 2r or d
Example
Determine the number of times an athlete must run around the track shown in order to complete
1500m
(a)

(b)
40m
32m

28m

(a) Here we must find out how much is one lap around the track. In other words we must
find the circumference of the track.
Circumference = 3.14 x 32 m = 100.48 m
The number of times =

= 15

(b) Distance around track = 40m + 40 m + the distance around the 2 half circles ( or circle)
= 40m + 40m + 3.14 x 28m
= 80m + 87.92m
= 167.92m

=9