In the field of mathematics, area refers to the total space in terms of square units. Whenever a person wants to measure how big the space is within a particular shape, he/she is actually referring to the shape’s total area. In simple shapes like squares and rectangles for example, the basic calculation for area involves getting the values for length and width. Multiplying both values will give the total area for the given shape. Total area of a shape may be expressed in square units of meters, inches, or yards among many other ways.

Most people will encounter area measurements in real life when talking about land areas for homes or buildings and spaces for offices and apartments. One apartment listing for example may indicate the total space at 30 square meters. Another listing about a piece of land may be labelled as having an area of 5 square kilometers. In both listings, the area literally represents the number of square units in the given shape or space. For the apartment sample, the area literally represents 30 square units that measure 1 square meter each. The square units of area may also be computed using the standard formula of length x width. A space with length 10 meters and width of 3 meters will result to an area computation of 30 square meters.

In some spaces or shapes that contain irregularities for example, the area computation may involve a different mathematical formula. For circular spaces, the number “pi” is considered and this is multiplied by the circle’s radius. Using the formula pi x radius (squared), one can get the total area of a circular space or shape. Applying the units of squares may also be possible in getting the area of circular shapes but one can only get an approximate answer because of the shape’s irregularity.