How to calculate area.

16 feet

Square or rectangle Area = L X W

area = length X width 24 feet = 16 ft. x 24 ft.
= 384 square feet

Circle area = π X Radius2

area = π X Radius2 or π R2 diameter = 3.14 X 7 FT. X 7 Ft.
14 feet
π = 3.14 = 153.86 square feet

Radius = 1/2 X Diameter

Area = height X base

2
Triangle
Area = height X base = 12 feet X 18 feet
2 2
or Height
12 feet
Area = 1/2 base X height = 216 square feet
base 2
18 feet
= 108 square ffet

Calculating the square footage of a house (floor and ceiling area)

72’
1. Section house into rec-
3’ tangles (dotted lines).
A B C 2. Calculate area within
38 x 34 8 x 26 26 x 32 each rectangle (L X W)
= 1292 = 208 = 832 3. Use formulas above to
28’’ calculate area of trian-
34’ D
gle and half circle.
280
4. Add all areas together.

5. A 1292
6’ 28 x 20 B 208
8’ 2 1’ C 832
= 560 2’ D 280
2 E 157
E = 3.14 x 10 x10
= 280 Total 2769 Square feet
157 = 314 (area of full circle)
= 1/2 circle = 314 / 2 =157
10’ 20’ 8 8’ 26’ 20’
Calculating the area of walls
The area of walls = Length X height (or perimeter X height)
With a square, rectangular or triangular building simply add up
the outside dimensions to determine the length (or perimeter).

18 feet
Length or perimeter = 18 + 12 + 18 + 12
= 60 feet
12 feet If the ceiling is 9 feet tall then:
Area of the wall = 60 feet X 9 feet
= 540 square feet

Calculating the area of triangular walls

Area = perimeter X wall height
18’ 26’ perimeter = 18’ + 26’ + 32’
= 76 feet
If walls are 10 feet high, then area = perimeter x height
= 76’ X 10’
32’ = 760 square feet

Sometimes we are not given all the sides the sides of a triangle. When this happens, we must perform
the following:

1. Draw a dotted line from the triangle apex to the

X =? Y =? base, thus forming two right triangles as
14’ shown below (a right triangle has one 90 0 an-
gle). This doted line is 14’.
2. In our example to the left, sides X and Y are
called hypotenuses. If we know the X and Y
900 900
lengths then we can determine the total perime-
12’ 8’ ter around the triangle.
3. The formula for determining the hypotenuse is
C2 = A2 X B2 . In layman’s terms, The for-
mula is hypotenuse = the square root of A2 +
B2
C2 B2 C2 4. On your calculator enter 12’ x 12’ = 144 sq. ft
+ 14’ x 14’ = 198 sq. ft
B2 Total A2 + B2 = 342 sq. ft
Enter 342, then press the square root sym
bol (v ). The resulting answer is the X
A2 A2 dimension (18.49’).

5. Calculate the hypotenuse of the other triangle the same way: (8’ X 8’) + (14’ X 14’) = 260 sq. ft. The square root of
260 is 16.12’. Therefore Y = 16.12’.
6. The total linear feet around our triangle is 18.49’ + 16.12’ + 12’ + 8’ = 54.61 feet.
7. The total square footage of our 10 foot high triangular wall is 54.61’ X 10’ = 546.1 sq. ft.
 Calculating the area of circular walls

18’

8’

Earlier we learned how to calculate the area of a circle using the formula, area = π X Radius2
We now need to learn a new formula that calculates the circumference of a circle. The circumference is the
same as the perimeter of a rectangular wall. If we know the circumference then we can say the area of a
circular wall = circumference X height.
Circumference = 2 X π X Radius or 2πR

Therefore, the area of the above wall is calculated as follows:

STEP 1. Circumference = 2 X 3.14 X 9’

= 56.52

STEP 2. Wall area = 56.52 X 8’

= 452.16 Sq. ft.
 Calculating volume

Volume of square or rectangular shaped building = area X height, or length X

9’ Volume = length X width x height

= 30’ X 40’ X 9’
= 10,800 cubic feet

40’
30’

Volume of a triangular building = area of triangle X length or height

50’ Step 1. Area of triangle = length X height
2
= 24’ X 6’
6’ 2
= 72 sq. ft.
24’
Step 2. Volume of triangle = area X length
= 72 sq. ft. X 50’
= 3600 cubic feet

Volume of a cylinder = Area of circle X length of cylinder

Step 1. Area of circle = π X Radius2 or πR2
= 3.14 X (5’ X 5’)
10’ = 3.14 X 25 square feet
= 78.5 square feet

30’ Step 2. Volume of cylinder = area of circle X length of cylinder

= 78.5 square feet X 30’
= 2355 cubic feet
Volume of house with 9 foot ceilings
72’

3’
A B C
38 x 34 8 x 26 26 x 32
= 1292 = 208 = 832 28’’
34’ D
280

6’ 28 x 20
8’ 2
= 560
E 2
= 3.14 x 10 x10
157 = 280
= 314 (area of full circle)
= 1/2 circle = 314 / 2 =157
10’ 20’ 8 8’ 26’ 20’

Volume = area X height

Step 1. Determine square footage (area) of Step 2. Determine volume
building Volume = area X height
Volume A = 1292 sq. ft. = 2769 sq. ft. X 9’
Volume B = 208 sq. ft. =24,921 cubic feet
Volume C = 832 sq. ft
Volume D = 280 sq. ft.
Volume E = 157 sq. ft
Total Area = 2769 sq. ft.