How to Find the Area of a Cylinder: Step-by-Step Guide and Formula

Area of a Cylinder

To find the area of a cylinder, you can break it down into two parts: the area of the two bases and the area of the curved surface

To find the area of a cylinder, you can break it down into two parts: the area of the two bases and the area of the curved surface.

1. Area of the bases:
The bases of a cylinder are both circles, so you can use the formula for finding the area of a circle, which is A = πr^2. In this formula, “A” represents the area, and “r” represents the radius of the circle, which is half the diameter.

For example, let’s say the radius of the cylinder’s base is 4 cm. Therefore, the area of each base would be A = π(4 cm)^2 = 16π cm^2.

2. Area of the curved surface:
The curved surface of a cylinder is like a rectangle that has been rolled into a cylinder shape. The height of the rectangle is equal to the height of the cylinder, and the width of the rectangle is equal to the circumference of one of the bases.

The circumference of a circle is given by the formula C = 2πr, where “C” represents the circumference, and “r” represents the radius. So, the width of the rectangle, which is the circumference of one base, is equal to C = 2π(4 cm) = 8π cm.

The height of the rectangle (and the cylinder) can be represented as “h”. Therefore, the area of the curved surface is A = width x height = 8π cm x h.

Overall, the area of the entire cylinder is the sum of the two areas:
Total Area = 2(Base Area) + Curved Surface Area

Total Area = 2(16π cm^2) + 8π cm x h
Total Area = 32π cm^2 + 8π cm x h

So, the final formula for finding the area of a cylinder is:
Total Area = 2πr^2 + 2πrh

It is important to note that the units used for the measurements of the radius, height, and area must be consistent (e.g., cm, meters, inches).

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