Parallelogram Area & Perimeter Calculator
Parallelogram Area & Perimeter Calculator
A parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides but, unlike a rectangle, its sides don't meet at right angles - think of a rectangle pushed sideways. Enter the base, the perpendicular height (not the slanted side), and the length of a slanted side, and this calculator finds the area and perimeter, along with a diagram and the full step-by-step working.
- Area = base × height, so a base of 10 and height of 6 give an area of 10 × 6 = 60 square units - exactly like a rectangle, since height is always measured perpendicular to the base, not along the slanted side.
- Perimeter = 2(base + side), for a base of 10 and slanted side of 7, that's 2 × (10 + 7) = 34 units.
- Don't confuse the slanted side with the height - the height is the shortest (perpendicular) distance between the two parallel bases, always shorter than or equal to the slanted side.
How do I find the area of a parallelogram?
Multiply the base by the perpendicular height: Area = base × height. For base 10 and height 6: 10 × 6 = 60.
Why isn't the slanted side used to find the area?
Area depends only on the base and the perpendicular height between the two parallel bases - the slanted side's length affects the shape's "lean" but not how much space it covers.
Parallelogram Area & Perimeter Calculator
A parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides but, unlike a rectangle, its sides don't meet at right angles - think of a rectangle pushed sideways. Enter the base, the perpendicular height (not the slanted side), and the length of a slanted side, and this calculator finds the area and perimeter, along with a diagram and the full step-by-step working.
- Area = base × height, so a base of 10 and height of 6 give an area of 10 × 6 = 60 square units - exactly like a rectangle, since height is always measured perpendicular to the base, not along the slanted side.
- Perimeter = 2(base + side), for a base of 10 and slanted side of 7, that's 2 × (10 + 7) = 34 units.
- Don't confuse the slanted side with the height - the height is the shortest (perpendicular) distance between the two parallel bases, always shorter than or equal to the slanted side.
How do I find the area of a parallelogram?
Multiply the base by the perpendicular height: Area = base × height. For base 10 and height 6: 10 × 6 = 60.
Why isn't the slanted side used to find the area?
Area depends only on the base and the perpendicular height between the two parallel bases - the slanted side's length affects the shape's "lean" but not how much space it covers.