Difference between Area and Perimeter

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The key difference between area and perimeter is: area is the region occupied by shape and perimeter defines the length of the outer boundary of the shape. Both the parameters define the size of a shape. Learn more on perimeter and area here.

In mathematics, Area & Perimeter both seem to be important terms in Geometry. One can easily get confused between these terms which looks similar but have a huge difference between them. Here we will discuss the basic differences along with some of the basic features and calculating the Area & Perimeter for those shapes.

Definition of Area and Perimeter

Area- Area is defined as space/region occupied by a two-dimensional flat object. It is measured in square units.

Consider a square having side ‘a’ then the area of the square is given by a².

Perimeter- Perimeter is defined as the length of boundaries of a closed figure. For example, a square having side length equal to ‘a,’ then the perimeter will be the sum of all its four sides, i.e. ‘4a.’ The measurement of the Perimeter is in the unit.

What are the Differences between Area and Perimeter?

Area	Perimeter
The area is the region occupied by a closed shape in a two-dimensional plane.	Perimeter is the length of the outer boundary of a closed shape
It is measured in square units	It is measured in units
Example: Area of a plot for farming	Example: Fencing the agricultural plot
Area of square = side²	Perimeter of square = 4 x side
Area of a rectangle = Length × Breadth	Perimeter of rectangle = 2(Length+Breadth)
Area of triangle = ½ × base × height	Perimeter of triangle = Sum of all three sides
Area of rhombus = ½ (product of diagonals)	Perimeter of rhombus = 4 × side
Area of trapezium = ½ (sum of parallel sides)	Perimeter of trapezium = sum of all sides

Solved Examples

Example 1: If the length of the side of a square is 11 m. Then find its area and perimeter.

Solution: Given, side of square = 11 m

Area = side² = 11² = 121 sq.m

Perimeter = 4 side = 4 x 11 = 44 sq.cm.
Example 2: The length of the rectangular plot is 12 yards and width is 10 yards. Find the area and perimeter of the plot.

Solution: Given, Length = 12 yards

Width = 10 yards

Therefore, Area = length x width = 12 x 10 = 120 sq. yards

Perimeter = 2 (length + width) = 2 x (12 + 10) = 2 x 22 = 44 yards.

Frequently Asked Questions on Difference between Area and Perimeter

What is the difference between perimeter and area?

The perimeter is the distance of the outer surface of shape and area is the space occupied by it.

Is there any relationship between area and perimeter?

There is no direct relation between area and perimeter. But the both the perimeters depends on dimensions of the shape.

What is the formula for area and perimeter of rectangle?

The formula for area of rectangle is product of length and breadth and the perimeter formula for rectangle is twice of (length + breadth).

What is area and perimeter of square?

Area of square is equal to square of its side and perimeter of square is sum of all its four sides.

How to find perimeter?

Perimeter of a shape having sides is equal to the length of sum of all the sides. Therefore, we need to add all the sides of a shape to calculate the perimeter.