How To Find The Volume Of A Parallelogram

A parallelogram refers to a four-sided figure that has two sets of parallel and congruent sides. For example, a square is a parallelogram. However, not all parallelograms are squares because parallelograms do not have to have four 90 degree angles. Since parallelograms are two-dimensional shapes, you can find the area but not the volume. To find the area, you need to know the base length and height of the parallelogram.

Step 1

Select one pair of sides of the parallelogram as the base sides. It doesn't matter which pair of sides because both pairs of sides must be parallel and congruent.

Step 2

Measure the distance between the two base sides to find the height of the parallelogram.

Step 3

Measure the length of one of the base sides. It does not matter which side you measure because they are congruent so it will be the same length.

Step 4

Multiply the base length times the height to find the area of the parallelogram. In this example, if the height equals 5 inches and the base equals 9 inches, multiply 5 by 9 to get an area of 45 square inches.