Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Practice Exam

How is the area of a rectangle calculated?

1. Area = length + width

2. Area = 2 * (length + width)

3. Area = length * width

4. Area = (length - width)

The correct answer is: Area = length * width

The area of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying its length by its width. This relationship is derived from the definition of area, which measures the amount of space inside a two-dimensional shape. The rectangle can be visualized as being made up of many unit squares, and the number of these squares can be determined by the product of the rectangle's length and width. In a mathematical context, if the length of the rectangle is represented as "l" and the width as "w," the formula for area is expressed as: Area = l * w This formula illustrates that if you have a rectangle with different lengths and widths, you can determine its total area by simply multiplying these two dimensions together. The other formulas given do not correctly reflect how to calculate the area of a rectangle. For example, adding length and width does not account for the two-dimensional nature of the shape, and using double the sum or a subtraction of the dimensions does not fit the geometric principles that define area. Thus, the correct understanding and application of the formula for area are essential for solving problems involving rectangles.