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⏰ 6th grade math · Measure, Time & Money

Area of triangles and nets

Cut a triangle off one side of a parallelogram and slide it to the other side: it becomes a rectangle. So area = base × height. The height is straight up, at a right angle to the base, not along the slanted side.

Worked example

What is the area of this parallelogram?
10 in6 in10 in
Answer: 60 square in
Area of a parallelogram = base × height = 10 × 6 = 60 square in. Answer: 60 square in.

For grown-ups: Area of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons; surface area from nets; volume with fractional edges. Below: three problems to try with the worked answers, and a free printable sheet. Children can practise the same skill as a game, with no sign-up and no ads.

  • CCSS 6.G.A.1–4
What this practises, for teachers

Practices area of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons; surface area from nets; volume with fractional edges (6.G.A.1–4). A printable sheet with its answer key, worked answers on the page, no accounts.

▶ Practise it

For your class

🖨️ Printable sheet and key

Try three

  1. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    5 in4 in5 in
    Show the answer and how
    Answer: 20 square in
    Area of a parallelogram = base × height = 5 × 4 = 20 square in. Answer: 20 square in.
  2. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    6 cm4 cm5 cm
    Show the answer and how
    Answer: 24 square cm
    Area of a parallelogram = base × height = 6 × 4 = 24 square cm. Answer: 24 square cm.
  3. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    16 cm8 cm17 cm
    Show the answer and how
    Answer: 128 square cm
    Area of a parallelogram = base × height = 16 × 8 = 128 square cm. Answer: 128 square cm.

Before and after

Learn first: Volume of a box (5th)

Comes next: Circles: around and inside (7th)

Name: ____________________Date: ____________Score: ____ / 12

Area of triangles and nets (6th grade)

  1. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    6 in4 in5 in
  2. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    9 ft3 ft5 ft
  3. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    13 ft6 ft10 ft
  4. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    6 m4 m5 m
  5. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    7 cm8 cm10 cm
  6. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    11 in8 in10 in
  7. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    12 in6 in10 in
  8. To find the area of this parallelogram, which lengths do you multiply?
    10 m8 m10 m
  9. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    15 cm9 cm15 cm
  10. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    16 cm8 cm17 cm
  11. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    14 m9 m15 m
  12. What is the area of this parallelogram?
    17 ft12 ft20 ft

Answer key

  1. 24 square in
  2. 27 square ft
  3. 78 square ft
  4. 24 square m
  5. 56 square cm
  6. 88 square in
  7. 72 square in
  8. 10 × 8 (the base and the height)
  9. 135 square cm
  10. 128 square cm
  11. 126 square m
  12. 204 square ft

More 6th grade skills: all 6th grade math skills, or every grade at math skills.