Learn to calculate the space inside and distance around shapes!
Perimeter is the total distance around a shape. Think of it as walking around the edge of a shape - how far would you walk? Add all the sides together!
Rectangle: P = 2 × (length + width)
Square: P = 4 × side
💡 Why 2 × (length + width)? A rectangle has 2 lengths and 2 widths. So we add length + width, then multiply by 2!
Example 1: Rectangle: 6 cm × 4 cm
P = 2 × (6 + 4) = 2 × 10 = 20 cm
Example 2: Square with side 5 m
P = 4 × 5 = 20 m
Example 3: Rectangle: 8 ft × 3 ft
P = 2 × (8 + 3) = 2 × 11 = 22 ft
Perimeter is used for:
For shapes that aren't rectangles or squares, just add up all the side lengths! For example, a triangle with sides 3 cm, 4 cm, and 5 cm has perimeter 3 + 4 + 5 = 12 cm.