Encyclopedia

Formulas for Various Areas

Plane FiguresArea1
triangleab/2
parallelogramab
rectangleab
squares2
circleπr2

SolidsTotal Surface Area1
right circular cylinderr(r + a)
right circular coneπr(r + l)
spherer2

1 The abbreviations used are: b = base (length of any side of a plane figure); a = altitude (perpendicular distance from the farthest point of the figure to the extended base); s = side; r = radius (of the base circle in the case of the cylinder or cone); l = slant height (distance from vertex to base of a cone measured on its surface).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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