Understanding the Area of a Rectangle

In South Africa, Grade 8 students learn about the concept of area and perimeter in the field of Geometry. When finding the area of a rectangle, the formula to use is:

[ \text{Area} = \text{length} \times \text{width} ]

So, when given a length of 5cm and a width of 3cm, the area of the rectangle can be calculated as:

[ \text{Area} = 5 , \text{cm} \times 3 , \text{cm} = 15 , \text{cm}^2 ]

The area of the rectangle is 15 square centimeters. This fundamental concept forms the basis for more advanced mathematical principles in the future.