Parallelogram
Mathematics · FE Reference Handbook section
Core formulas for this FE topic
Definitions, applicability, units, assumptions and worked examples for each relation.
Worked exam-style examples
The four ways this section is written on the real exam — thoughts first, then equations, then substitution.
A surveyor computes the area of a parallelogram-shaped parcel. Given base (b) = 29.0000 ft; height (h) = 19.0000 ft, determine the area (A) in ft^2.
Given
Find
area (A), in ft^2
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except A is given, so isolate A symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for A:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
A = 551.0\ \text{ft^2}Step 6 — Check: returning A = 551.0 ft^2 to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 1,102 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 275.5 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 606.1 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A drafter checks the area of a parallelogram panel. Given height (h) = 20.0000 ft; area (A) = 403.5 ft^2, determine the base (b) in ft.
Given
Find
base (b), in ft
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except b is given, so isolate b symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for b:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
Step 6 — Check: returning b = 20.1750 ft to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 40.3500 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 10.0875 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 22.1925 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A student finds the height of a parallelogram given its area and base. Given base (b) = 4.0000 ft; area (A) = 320.5 ft^2, determine the height (h) in ft.
Given
Find
height (h), in ft
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except h is given, so isolate h symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for h:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
Step 6 — Check: returning h = 80.1250 ft to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 160.3 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 40.0625 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 88.1375 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A surveyor computes the area of a parallelogram-shaped parcel. Given base (b) = 2.5000 ft; height (h) = 16.0000 ft, determine the area (A) in ft^2.
Given
Find
area (A), in ft^2
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except A is given, so isolate A symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for A:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
A = 40.0000\ \text{ft^2}Step 6 — Check: returning A = 40.0000 ft^2 to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 80.0000 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 20.0000 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 44.0000 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A drafter checks the area of a parallelogram panel. Given height (h) = 16.0000 ft; area (A) = 88.0000 ft^2, determine the base (b) in ft.
Given
Find
base (b), in ft
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except b is given, so isolate b symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for b:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
Step 6 — Check: returning b = 5.5000 ft to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 11.0000 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 2.7500 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 6.0500 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A student finds the height of a parallelogram given its area and base. Given base (b) = 6.5000 ft; area (A) = 199.0 ft^2, determine the height (h) in ft.
Given
Find
height (h), in ft
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except h is given, so isolate h symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for h:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
Step 6 — Check: returning h = 30.6154 ft to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 61.2308 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 15.3077 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 33.6769 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A surveyor computes the area of a parallelogram-shaped parcel. Given base (b) = 26.5000 ft; height (h) = 7.5000 ft, determine the area (A) in ft^2.
Given
Find
area (A), in ft^2
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except A is given, so isolate A symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for A:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
A = 198.8\ \text{ft^2}Step 6 — Check: returning A = 198.8 ft^2 to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 397.5 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 99.3750 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 218.6 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A drafter checks the area of a parallelogram panel. Given height (h) = 1.0000 ft; area (A) = 404.5 ft^2, determine the base (b) in ft.
Given
Find
base (b), in ft
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except b is given, so isolate b symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for b:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
Step 6 — Check: returning b = 404.5 ft to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 809.0 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 202.3 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 445.0 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A student finds the height of a parallelogram given its area and base. Given base (b) = 6.0000 ft; area (A) = 461.0 ft^2, determine the height (h) in ft.
Given
Find
height (h), in ft
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except h is given, so isolate h symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for h:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
Step 6 — Check: returning h = 76.8333 ft to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 153.7 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 38.4167 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 84.5167 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram
A surveyor computes the area of a parallelogram-shaped parcel. Given base (b) = 14.0000 ft; height (h) = 1.5000 ft, determine the area (A) in ft^2.
Given
Find
area (A), in ft^2
Start with the thinking
- The governing relation printed in this handbook section is Parallelogram area.
- Everything except A is given, so isolate A symbolically first — never rearrange after the numbers are in.
- Tabulate each given with its unit and confirm the units are consistent with the relation before substituting.
- The parallelogram area formula relates the base and height of a parallelogram to its area.
Step-by-step solution
Step 1 — State the governing relation:
Step 2 — Rearrange symbolically for A:
Step 3
Step 4 — Substitute the given values:
Step 5 — Evaluate:
A = 21.0000\ \text{ft^2}Step 6 — Check: returning A = 21.0000 ft^2 to
reproduces the given quantities, and both sides carry the same units.
Why the other options are there
- 42.0000 — kept a factor of two that cancels in the correct rearrangement.
- 10.5000 — dropped that same factor in the other direction.
- 23.1000 — rounded an intermediate value before the final step.
Reference: FE Handbook — Parallelogram