A parallelogram's basic structure doesn't differ much from that of the rectangle, another type of quadrilateral. Both shapes possess opposite sides that form parallel pairs, though the rules for their interior angles are different --- a rectangle must possess four right angles, while a parallelogram's angles only have to be equal to the angle opposite it. A rectangle's area depends on two dimensions, its length and its width. The parallelogram's area formula also has two dimensions, known as its base and its height --- the base is the length of one side, while the height is the perpendicular and shortest distance between the base and its parallel partner. To measure the area of a parallelogram, you only need to find its base, height and the two dimensions' product.
Instructions
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1
Select one of the parallelogram's sides to be the base and measure it. For this example, let the base measure 5 inches.
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2
Measure the distance between the selected base and its opposite parallel side to find the parallelogram's height. In this example, let the height measure 3 inches.
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3
Multiply the lengths of the base and height together to find the parallelogram's area. Concluding this example, multiplying 5 inches by 3 inches results in 15 square inches.