Area of Triangles, Parallelograms & Circles
Once a child can find the area of a rectangle by counting unit squares, the curriculum builds the other plane figures on top of it — and CTET tests how that bridge is built. The area of a parallelogram is base × height, where height is the perpendicular distance between the two parallel sides, NOT the slanting side. The classic Class VII demonstration is to cut a right-triangle off one end of the parallelogram and slide it to the other end, turning the shape into a rectangle of the same base and height — which is why the formula matches the rectangle. The area of a triangle is ½ × base × height, because any triangle is exactly half of a parallelogram (or rectangle) on the same base and between the same parallels. The most common student error here is using the slant side instead of the perpendicular height, so a good teacher always points to the right-angle mark. The area of a circle is πr² and the circumference (the 'perimeter' of a circle) is 2πr; CTET frequently mixes these two up on purpose, so read whether the question asks for the boundary (circumference, 2πr) or the surface inside (area, πr²). Use π = 22/7 when the radius is a multiple of 7, which keeps the arithmetic clean.
✅ Solved examples
✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed
📝 Topic test — 8 questions
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Key Concepts — Quick Reference
Area & perimeter of plane figures
| Rectangle | Area = l × b · Perimeter = 2(l + b) |
|---|---|
| Square | Area = a² · Perimeter = 4a |
| Triangle | Area = ½ × base × height |
| Parallelogram | Area = base × height |
| Circle | Area = πr² · Circumference = 2πr (π = 22/7) |
Surface area & volume of solids
| Cuboid | Volume = l × b × h · TSA = 2(lb + bh + hl) |
|---|---|
| Cube | Volume = a³ · TSA = 6a² |
| Cylinder | Volume = πr²h · CSA = 2πrh · TSA = 2πr(r + h) |