Calculate Parallelogram Area: Rectangle with Perimeter 24 Inside

The parallelogram ABCD contains the rectangle AEFC inside it, which has a perimeter of 24.

AE = 8

BC = 5

What is the area of the parallelogram?

In the first step, we must find the length of EC, which we will identify with an X.

We know that the perimeter of a rectangle is the sum of all its sides (AE+EC+CF+FA),

Since in a rectangle the opposite sides are equal, the formula can also be written like this: 2AE=2EC.

We replace the known data:

$2\times8+2X=24$

$16+2X=24$

We isolate X:

$2X=8$

and divide by 2:

$X=4$

Now we can use the Pythagorean theorem to find EB.

(Pythagoras: $A^2+B^2=C^2$)

$EB^2+4^2=5^2$

$EB^2+16=25$

We isolate the variable

$EB^2=9$

We take the square root of the equation.

$EB=3$

The area of a parallelogram is the height multiplied by the side to which the height descends, that is$AB\times EC$.

$AB=\text{ AE}+EB$

$AB=8+3=11$

And therefore we will apply the area formula:

$11\times4=44$