Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Practice Exam

How do you calculate the area of a rectangle?

1. l + w

2. l * w

3. 2(l + w)

4. l² + w²

The correct answer is: l * w

To calculate the area of a rectangle, you multiply its length (l) by its width (w). The formula for area is given by the expression l * w. This represents the number of square units that can fit within the rectangle, which is derived from counting the length units along one side and the width units along the perpendicular side. This multiplication captures the total space enclosed within the rectangle. The other options relate to different mathematical calculations. For instance, adding the length and width (l + w) provides the perimeter only when multiplied by two, which is not relevant for finding area. The expression 2(l + w) is indeed used to find the perimeter of a rectangle, not the area. Lastly, l² + w² resembles the calculation of the sum of the squares of the length and width, which does not yield the area. Therefore, the correct method to find the area of a rectangle is clearly demonstrated by the multiplication of its length and width.