To find the perimeter of a shape, you add together the lengths of all its sides. The perimeter represents the total distance around the outside of a 2D shape.
How to find perimeter for different shapes:
- Rectangle:
Use the formula Perimeter=2×(length+width)\text{Perimeter}=2\times (\text{length}+\text{width})Perimeter=2×(length+width). For example, if a rectangle has a length of 14 feet and a width of 6 feet, its perimeter is 2×(14+6)=402\times (14+6)=402×(14+6)=40 feet
- Square:
Since all four sides are equal, multiply the length of one side by 4:
Perimeter=4×side length\text{Perimeter}=4\times \text{side length}Perimeter=4×side length
- Regular polygons (all sides equal):
Multiply the number of sides by the length of one side:
Perimeter=number of sides×side length\text{Perimeter}=\text{number of sides}\times \text{side length}Perimeter=number of sides×side length
- Irregular polygons:
Add the length of each side individually to get the total perimeter
Summary:
- Measure or obtain the length of each side.
- Add all side lengths together.
- For rectangles and squares, use the simplified formulas to save time.
This method works for any polygon and gives you the total distance around the shape
