What is the area of a parallelogram with base 6 cm and height 5 cm?

The area of a parallelogram with a base of 6 cm and a height of 5 cm is 30 cm².

To find the area of a parallelogram, you use the formula: Area = base × height. In this case, the base of the parallelogram is given as 6 cm, and the height is given as 5 cm. By substituting these values into the formula, you get:

Area = 6 cm × 5 cm = 30 cm².

The base of a parallelogram is one of its sides, and the height is the perpendicular distance from this base to the opposite side. It’s important to note that the height is not the length of the slanted side but the vertical distance between the bases.

This formula works because a parallelogram can be thought of as a slanted rectangle. If you were to cut off a triangle from one side of the parallelogram and move it to the other side, you would form a rectangle with the same base and height. Therefore, the area of the parallelogram is the same as the area of this rectangle.

Understanding this concept is crucial for solving problems involving parallelograms, as it allows you to apply a simple multiplication to find the area, rather than needing to use more complex methods. This principle is widely applicable in various geometric problems and is a fundamental part of GCSE Maths.