How is the area of a rectangle calculated?

The area of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying its base (or length) by its height (or width). This is because the area represents the amount of space enclosed within the rectangle. The formula A = Base × Height directly reflects this concept — it tells us to take the length of one side and multiply it by the length of the adjacent side.

For example, if you have a rectangle that is 5 units long and 3 units tall, the area would be calculated as follows: A = 5 × 3, which equals 15 square units. This calculation effectively counts all the unit squares that fit within the dimensions of the rectangle, ensuring a correct assessment of the total area.

Other formulas, such as addition, division, or taking half of a base multiplied by height, do not accurately reflect the way area works for rectangles. The formula involving one-half is common for triangles, where the area can be understood as half the product of the base and height, but that does not apply here. Thus, the multiplication of base and height gives a straightforward and correct method to find the area of a rectangle.