area

area, measure of the size of a surface region, usually expressed in units that are the square of linear units, e.g., square feet or square meters. In elementary geometry, formulas for the areas of the simple plane figures and the surface areas of simple solids are derived from the linear dimensions of these figures. Examples are given in the table entitled Formulas for Various Areas. The areas of irregular figures, plane or solid, can be computed or closely approximated by the use of integral calculus.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.