Which formula correctly calculates the area of a rectangle?

• A. A = W × L
• B. A = Base × Height ÷ 2
• C. A = W × H × 2
• D. A = W + L

Answer: (A)

Area is the amount of space inside a shape. For a rectangle, this space is found by counting how many units fit across (width) and how many units fit down (length). Each row across the width contributes W units of area, and there are L such rows, so the total interior area is W × L. That makes the formula width times length the correct way to calculate a rectangle’s area, with the result in square units.

The other expressions don’t fit the concept of area: base × height ÷ 2 is the formula for a triangle’s area; multiplying by 2 would double the area and overcount; adding width and length simply sums the sides and doesn’t measure interior space. If you prefer, you can think of base and height as the same idea as width and length—the product still gives the area.