The perimeter of a rectangle is the distance around the figure. A rectangle is a four-sided plane figure with all its sides at right angles (90°) with each other, and the opposite side is equal. On this page, we will discuss the perimeter of a rectangle in detail.
What is the perimeter of a rectangle?
The perimeter of a rectangle is the distance around the boundaries of the rectangle i.e the length of its boundaries. The formula for calculating the perimeter of the rectangle is
perimeter of a rectangle= sum of the length of it’s sides
= 2 × length + 2 × width
= 2L +2W
The perimeter of the rectangle is 2L+2w because the length of the rectangle is two and the width are also two hence the total distance around the rectangle is 2l+2w.
How to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle
In calculating the perimeter of a rectangle, we make sure all the measurements have the same units. For example, if all the measurements are in “m”, this will give the perimeter of the rectangle in meters (m). When one of the sides of the rectangle is measured in centimeters (cm) and the other side is in meters (m) we change both sides to one unit which will be comfortable for us. Let’s solve some examples of a perimeter of a rectangle.
Examples: Find the perimeter of a rectangle that has a length of 8cm and a width of 6cm.
Solution
perimeter of a rectangle = 2L + 2W, where the L= Length = 8cm and the W= width=6cm
Perimeter of the rectangle = 2×8cm + 2×6cm
= 16cm + 12cm
=28cm
Example 2: Find the perimeter of the figure below
Solution
Perimeter of a rectangle = 2L+2W, where length (L) =14 feet and width (w)=6 feet
=(2×14feet)+(2×6feet)
= 28feet + 12feet
=40feet
This is pretty good, right? All perimeter of a rectangle is done the same way.