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Real areas from a scale worksheets

A scale is about lengths, so an area does not simply multiply by it. These free printable worksheets give a rectangle's two drawn sides and a scale and ask for the real area, with an answer sheet.

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Real areas from a scale
Real areas from a scale worksheet — Rectangles, both sides given, free printable with answer key

The answer key prints on a separate page.

What's on this sheet

The right order is to scale each side and then multiply. A garden drawn 3 cm by 5 cm at 1 cm to 2 m is really 6 m by 10 m, so it covers 60 square meters. The tempting shortcut takes the drawn area of 15 and doubles it, which gives 30. That is half the real answer, and nothing about 30 looks wrong.

Why this sheet works

That is why every question here gives the two sides and never the drawn area. A student has to take the step that matters each time, and the page builds the habit rather than warning about it. If you want to see the idea for yourself, draw the doubled rectangle and count how many of the small one fit inside it.

How this one works

On a school map, 1 cm stands for 4 meters. A playground is drawn 7 cm by 2 cm. How many square meters is the real playground?

7×4=28
2×4=8
28×8=224
  1. Scale each side first, because the scale is about lengths. 7 × 4 = 28 and 2 × 4 = 8.
  2. Now the real area: 28 × 8 = 224, so it is 224 square meters. Multiplying the drawn area by 4 only once would give too small an answer.

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