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Imagine you're building a fence around your very own backyard park. You want to make sure you have enough fencing to go all the way around. That's where perimeter comes in handy! It's simply the total distance around the outside of a shape.
Let's break it down!
- Perimeter: Think of it like a journey around the edge of a shape. You add up the lengths of all the sides to find the total distance.
- Shape: Shapes are everywhere! Squares, rectangles, triangles – they all have perimeters.
- Distance: This is how far apart two points are. We use it to measure the sides of our shapes.
Why is Perimeter Important?
Knowing how to find the perimeter helps us in so many ways! Besides building fences, you can use it to:
- Frame a picture: You'll know exactly how much wood to buy.
- Plan a garden: Figure out how much fencing you need to keep those pesky rabbits out!
- Wrap a present: No more guessing if you have enough ribbon!
Let's Play a Game!
Imagine a square with sides that are 5 centimeters long. To find the perimeter, we add up all the sides:
5 cm + 5 cm + 5 cm + 5 cm = 20 cm
The perimeter of our square is 20 centimeters!
What if a Side is Missing?
Sometimes, you might know the perimeter of a shape but not the length of one side. Don't worry, it's like solving a fun puzzle!
Let's say you have a rectangle with a perimeter of 16 cm. You know three sides are 3 cm, 5 cm, and 3 cm. How do you find the missing side?
- Add the known sides: 3 cm + 5 cm + 3 cm = 11 cm
- Subtract from the perimeter: 16 cm - 11 cm = 5 cm
The missing side is 5 cm long!
Keep Exploring!
Perimeter is just the beginning of your geometry adventure! There's a whole world of shapes and measurements to discover. Keep practicing, and you'll become a perimeter pro in no time!
Want to test your skills? Head over to Khan Academy for awesome practice exercises and videos: https://www.khanacademy.org/
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