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Mathematics

Measurement Formulas
A graphical list of the formulas for measurement concepts. Print this page for reference.

See the online area calculator.

Shapes
Formula
Rectangle:
Area = Length X Width
A = lw

Perimeter = 2 X Lengths + 2 X Widths

P = 2l + 2w
Parallelogram
Area = Base X Height
a = bh

Triangle
Area = 1/2 of the base X the height
a = 1/2 bh
Perimeter = a + b + c
(add the length of the three sides)
Trapezoid

Perimeter = area + b1 + b2 + c
P = a + b1 + b2 + c

Circle Try the Online tool.

The distance around the circle is a circumference. The
distance across the circle is the diameter (d). The
radius (r) is the distance from the center to a point on
the circle. (Pi = 3.14) More about circles.
d = 2r
c = d = 2 r
A = r2
=3.14)

Rectangular Solid
Volume = Length X Width X Height
V = lwh
Surface = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
Prisms
Volume = Base X Height
v=bh
Surface = 2b + Ph (b is the area of the base P is the
perimeter of the base)

Cylinder
Volume = r2 x height
V = r2 h
Surface = 2 radius x height
S = 2rh + 2r2

Pyramid
V = 1/3 bh
b is the area of the base
Surface Area: Add the area of the base to the sum of
the areas of all of the triangular faces. The areas of the
triangular faces will have different formulas for
different shaped bases.

Cones
Volume = 1/3 r2 x height
V= 1/3 r2h
Surface = r2 + 
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Mathematics

Circles
A quick tutorial about circles to help you understand about calculating the area and circumference.

Try the Online Circle Measurement Tool.

If you know either the Diameter, Area or Circumference, the tool does the rest!

Circle
Lines in Circles

AB = Diameter
Must pass through the centre of the
circle. The Diameter is equal to twice the
radius.
OC = Radius
The radius is a line segment that begin
from the centre and touches any point on
the circle.
ED = Chord
The chord joins any two points on a
circle.
FG = Tangent
A line with one point common to the
circle.
EHD = Arc
Only the portion of the circle that is
between two points on the circle.
ADB = Semicircle
Also considered to be an arc that is
exactly half of the circle.
OCB = Sector
The area between two radii and the arc.
COB = Central Angle
Fromed by two radii.

The circumference of a circle is the actual length around the circle which is equal to 360°. Pi () is the number
needed to compute the circumference of the circle.
 is equal to 3.14.
Pi is greek and has been around for over 2000 years!

In circles the AREA is equal to 3.14 () times the radius (r) to the power of 2.
Thus the formula looks like:
A=r2.

In circles the circumference is 3.14 () times the Diameter.

Thus the formula looks like:
2r or d.
Distance Formula
The distance formula can be obtained by creating a triangle and using the Pythagorean Theorem to
find the length of the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse of the triangle will be the distance between the two
points.

The subscripts refer to the first and second points; it doesn't matter which points you call first or second.

x2 and y2 are the x,y coordinates for one point

x1and y1 are the x,y coordinates for the second point
d is the distance between the two points

Slope Formula
sometimes called 'Rise over Run'.

The formula for the slope of the straight line going through the points (x1, y1) and (x 2, y 2) is given by:

The subscripts refer to the two points.

(m=rise/run)

Note:
Parallel lines have equal slope.
Perpendicular lines have negative reciprocal slopes.
Trigonometric Formula
Useful trig formulas and some very helpful links for learning trigonometric concepts.

Triangle ABC is any triangle with side lengths a,b,c

Law of Cosines

Law of Sines
Here you'll find a list of the most common conversions used internationally. For larger numbers of units, you may
find the online calculator useful. Many of these unit conversions will not only be helpful for many of your
mathematical word problems but also for travel between the US and Canada or especially useful for recipe
conversions.

Length

1 inch 2.540 centimeters

1 foot 30.48 centimeters

1 mile 1.609 kilometers

1 centimeter 0.3937 inches

1 meter 39.37 inches or 100 centimeters

1 kilometer 0.6214 miles or 1000 meters

Area

1 square mile 640 acres

1 acre 43.560 feet squared

1 square meter 10.76 feet squared

1 square foot 929 centimeters squared

Volume

1 US Gallon 3.785 litres

1 British Gallon 1.201 US gallon

1 US Quart .946 litre

Speed

1 Mile per hour 1.609 Kilometer per hour

1 Kilometer per hour .62 Miles per hour

Temperature Sea Level

32 Degrees Fahrenheit 0 Degrees Celsius (Freezing Point)

212 Degrees Farenheit 100 Degrees Celsius (Boiling Point)

Weight

1 Pound .453 Kilogram, 16 ounces, 453 grams

1 Ounce 28 grams

1 Kilogram 2.2 pounds

Geometry > Trigonometry > Trigonometric Identities

Trigonometric Addition
Formulas

Angle addition formulas express trigonometric functions of sums of angles in terms of functions of and . The fundamental
formulas of angle addition in trigonometry are given by

(1
)
(2
)
(3
)
(4
)
(5
)

(6
)

The first four of these are known as the prosthaphaeresis formulas, or sometimes as Simpson's formulas.

The sine and cosine angle addition identities can be compactly summarized by the matrix equation

(7
)

These formulas can be simply derived using complex exponentials and the Euler formula as follows.

(8)
(9)
(10
)
(11
)

Equating real and imaginary parts then gives (1) and (3), and (2) and (4) follow immediately by substituting for .

Taking the ratio of (1) and (3) gives the tangent angle addition formula

(12
)

(13
)

(14
)
 (15
)

The double-angle formulas are

(16
)
(17
)
(18
)
(19
)
(20
)

Multiple-angle formulas are given by

(21
)

(22
)

and can also be written using the recurrence relations

(23
)
(24
)
(25
)

The angle addition formulas can also be derived purely algebraically without the use of complex numbers. Consider the small
right triangle in the figure above, which gives
 (26
)

(27
)

Now, the usual trigonometric definitions applied to the large right triangle give

(28
)

(29
)

(30
)

(31
)

Solving these two equations simultaneously for the variables and then immediately gives

(32
)

(33
)

These can be put into the familiar forms with the aid of the trigonometric identities

(34
)

And

(35
)
(36
)
(37
)
(38
)

which can be verified by direct multiplication. Plugging (◇) into (◇) and (◇) into (◇) then gives

(39
)
(40
)
as before.

A similar proof due to Smiley and Smiley uses the left figure above to obtain

(41
)

from which it follows that

(42
)

Similarly, from the right figure,

(43
)

so

(44
)

Similar diagrams can be used to prove the angle subtraction formulas (Smiley 1999, Smiley and Smiley). In the figure at left,

(45
)
(46
)
(47
)

giving
 (48
)

Similarly, in the figure at right,

(49
)
(50
)
(51
)

Giving

(52
)

A more complex diagram can be used to obtain a proof from the identity (Ren 1999). In the above figure, let
. Then

(53
)

An interesting identity relating the sum and difference tangent formulas is given by
(54
)

(55
)

(56
)