why do the parallelogram and the rectangle have the same formula? b*h
The parallelogram and the rectangle have the same formula, which is base multiplied by height (b * h), because they both have a pair of parallel sides.
To understand why this formula is used for both shapes, let's break it down:
In a rectangle, the base is one of its sides, and the height is the perpendicular distance between the base and its opposite side. Since opposite sides of a rectangle are parallel, the height is the straight-line distance between them.
In a parallelogram, the base is also one of its sides, and the height is the perpendicular distance between the base and its opposite side. Since opposite sides of a parallelogram are also parallel, the height is the straight-line distance between them.
Therefore, both the parallelogram and the rectangle share the same formula (b * h) to calculate their area because they both have parallel sides, and the height is the perpendicular distance between these sides.
In summary, the formula b * h is applicable to both parallelograms and rectangles because they possess parallel sides, and the height is measured as the straight-line distance between these sides.