How Many Squares?

Area = amount of space inside a shape. Unit: square centimetre (cm²) or square metre (m²). Method: draw shape on squared paper. Count complete squares inside the shape. For incomplete squares: count those > half as 1, those < half as 0 (or count halves and add). Practice: draw your hand on squared paper, count squares, find approximate area.

Real shapes (leaves, lakes, countries) are irregular. Method: trace on grid paper. Count squares (use half-square rule). Area of India ≈ 3.3 million km². Architects use this to find area of awkward rooms. Farmers use this to measure field areas. Computer programs can calculate area of any shape by similar counting of pixels (tiny squares).

KEY DISTINCTION: Perimeter = distance around (1D, measured in cm, m). Area = space inside (2D, measured in cm², m²). Two different shapes can have SAME perimeter but DIFFERENT areas! Example: Rectangle 6×2 (P=16, A=12) vs Rectangle 5×3 (P=16, A=15). Same perimeter (16), different area! Farmers prefer maximum area for a given fence length — that is why square fields are efficient.