The square footage for a 10-foot by 8-foot room is 80 square feet. Area is calculated by using the base times height formula (A=b*h) for a rectangle.
Area measures the inside of a 2-dimensional shape; compared to the perimeter, which measures the outside. Using a field as an example, one would measure the inside grassy space of the field with the area formula and the fencing using the perimeter formula.
The answer for an area problem is labeled in units squared. Knowing the area of each wall in a room is helpful when purchasing paint. Knowing the area of the floor, or base, is helpful when purchasing floor coverings.
