What is the formula for calculating the area of a rectangle?

The formula for calculating the area of a rectangle is given by multiplying its length by its width. This is derived from the understanding that the area represents the total number of square units that can fit within the boundaries of the rectangle. By taking the length, which is the measure of one side, and multiplying it by the width, which measures the perpendicular side, you effectively cover the entire surface area.

When applied practically, if a rectangle has a length of, say, 5 units and a width of 3 units, the area would be calculated as 5 (length) multiplied by 3 (width), resulting in an area of 15 square units. This simple multiplication provides a clear and effective means of determining how much two-dimensional space a rectangle occupies.

Other formulas suggested do not properly represent area. Adding length and width gives a perimeter rather than area, dividing length by width does not provide a meaningful geometric measurement in terms of area, and subtracting width from length neither represents a measure of space nor is geometrically relevant for area calculation. Therefore, the correct mathematical relationship for finding the area of a rectangle involves multiplication of these two dimensions.