Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Practice Exam

How is the perimeter of a rectangle calculated?

1. Length + Width

2. 2(Length + Width)

3. Length x Width

4. Length + 2Width

The correct answer is: 2(Length + Width)

The perimeter of a rectangle is defined as the total distance around the rectangle, which is achieved by adding together the lengths of all four sides. A rectangle has two lengths and two widths, so to calculate the perimeter, you add the length and width together and then multiply the sum by 2. This results in the formula: Perimeter = 2(Length + Width). This formula captures the essence of perimeter calculation, as it accounts for both dimensions of the rectangle, ensuring that both pairs of opposite sides are included in the total. The other options do not correctly represent the calculation for the perimeter. For instance, simply adding the length and width does not account for both pairs of sides; multiplying length by width computes the area of the rectangle, not the perimeter; and adding the length to twice the width does not accurately represent how the perimeter is derived from both dimensions.