Area of rectangle with corners (-4, -3), (2, -3), (2, 1), (-4, 1)

Step by step

The question

Question: find the area of the rectangle with corners (−4, −3), (2, −3), (2, 1), (−4, 1).

1 Plot the points

We put the corners on the grid.

Corner A is (−4, −3).

And so on.

We join them in order.

2 Find the side lengths

A B: the same y, so it goes across.

Its length is the bigger x minus the smaller: 2 minus −4 is 6.

Careful!

−4 is on the other side of 0.

Minus a negative is plus: 2 plus 4.

B C: the same x, so it goes up and down.

Its length is the bigger y minus the smaller: 1 minus −3 is 4.

3 Area

The area of a rectangle is length times width.

6 times 4 is 24 square units.

4 Check

Let's check: count the squares inside.

4 rows of 6 squares: 24.

So the answer is right!

Let's look back.

First: plot the points.

Then: find the side lengths.

Then: area.

Last: check.