area of rectangles

[ghentb]

Hi everyone,
Help me please?!!

I make a rectangle using 8 squares by 8 squares. This is 64 units squared.

I cut up the rectangle from points on the original rectangle using 3, 5, 8 . I rearrange the two trapezoids and the two triangles. I get a different area. I get 65 units squared. WHY?!!!

 

[Mrspi]

Hi everyone,
Help me please?!!

I make a rectangle using 8 squares by 8 squares. This is 64 units squared.

I cut up the rectangle from points on the original rectangle using 3, 5, 8 . I rearrange the two trapezoids and the two triangles. I get a different area. I get 65 units squared. WHY?!!!

This is a "classic" problem, and the reason the reassembled pieces result in a larger area than the original is that there's a TINY BIT of space between the reassembled pieces.

It's often a science fair project....

read here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=YrlX53 ... &q&f=false