Final answer:
The area of a rectangle with length x and width y is calculated by multiplying the two dimensions (A = x × y), while the perimeter is the sum of all four sides (P = 2x + 2y).
Step-by-step explanation:
If a rectangle is x units long and y units wide, the area of the rectangle is found by multiplying these two dimensions together. Hence, the area A of the rectangle is A = x × y. In terms of units, if x and y are in meters, then the area would be expressed in square meters (m²).
The perimeter of the rectangle, which is the total length around the rectangle, is calculated by adding the lengths of all four sides. Therefore, the formula for the perimeter P is P = 2x + 2y. If x and y are in meters, the perimeter will also be a length measured in meters (m).
Example:
If we have a rectangle that is 3 meters long (x = 3 m) and 2 meters wide (y = 2 m), then the area of the rectangle would be 3 m × 2 m = 6 m². The perimeter of this rectangle would be 2 × 3 m + 2 × 2 m = 6 m + 4 m = 10 m.