Maths is a study of all the numbers, theorems, and formulas in the world, which remains standard worldwide. Maths has developed a lot, and today it is used in every aspect of our life, from cutting a perfect square of wood to make a stand. Using maths to develop maps of a particular building to turn it into beautiful skyscrapers, maths has played a significant role in our lives. Studying numbers maths helps us build buildings and make perfect food using the exact grams and milligrams to prepare food. The area has always helped determine the ideal planning of structures and buildings; if a concept like an area never existed, city planning, house planning wouldn’t have been possible.
Area and Surface area are the most used terminologies, even taught in school. It is often changeable, but there is a vast difference.
Surface Area vs Area
The main difference between area and surface area is that area is calculated for the 2D figures, meaning the area is used to calculate the area occupied by the figure calculated in square units, the SI unit of measurement. Surface area is used for calculating the area of all the 3D shapes that include all the sides, top, and bottom of any figure; we add all the surfaces to get the surface area.
For example, a rectangle when we calculate area, we multiply the length and the breadth(L×B), but to calculate surface area we add all the four surfaces, we double the measurements and multiply (2LH×2LW×2WH)
Comparison Table Between Surface Area and Area
| Parameters of Comparison | Area | Surface Area |
| Meaning | Used for calculating the space occupied by a 2D figure, the number of square units occupied ex- square. | Used for calculating the area occupied by the 3D figures, being a 2D figure on paper, we add all the surfaces giving the actual space occupied. |
| Extensions | None | TSA- Total surface area LSA- Lateral surface area CSA- curved surface area |
| Formulas | Square is a 2D object, so we calculate it by multiplying the base with the height (B×H) | The cube is a 3D figure of the square. We calculate it by multiplying the edge with six (a2×6) |
| Area of Focus | While calculating the area, the focus remains on one site. | While calculating the surface area, the focus is on all areas of all the face of shape. |
| Used For | It helps in calculating the square units occupied by the 2D object. | It helps in calculating the actual area occupied by the 3D figure. |
| Type of figures | It is used for plain figures like rectangles, squares, and circles. | It is used for solid figures like cubes, cuboids, and pyramids. |
What is Area?
The area is defined as the square units occupied by a two-dimensional shape. The area is used for calculating the occupation of two-dimensional figures like rectangle square circles.
A straightforward example to understand the area is if we want to paint a wall in a house, we should know the exact size of the border: the length and the breadth, to see the cost of painting and the amount of paint required. Area not only plays a vital role in modern mathematics as it is used in geometry and calculus.
The area is used to know the exact size and is used to construct a building or a house. The standard international unit of area is meter square that is 1 meter multiplied by 1-meter results in a whole meter square. A rectangle with different sides says length 4 meters and width to meters the area calculated is 8-meter square, which is equivalent to 8 million square millimeters.
What is Surface Area?
The surface area is used to measure the space occupied by a 3D shape or a definite shape. Since the face of a three-dimensional figure is a two-dimensional figure, calculate the area by adding all the surfaces of an object.
The surface area also has extensions. The first one is known as the curved surface area that includes the area of all the curved surfaces. The second one is the lateral surface area, which includes all the surfaces but not the top and bottom areas. The third extension is the total surface area that includes all the surfaces and the top and bottom.
Surface area is used to calculate all the objects in real life, hence helping us know the actual space occupied by an item. For example, if we are building a wall, we need to calculate the length, breadth, and width of the wall to know the actual area that will be occupied and the total area covered by the wall.
The surface area helps to calculate the size of reliable figures like cube cuboid pyramid etc. While calculating the surface area, we take an instance of all the plane figures, calculate the actual area, and then multiplied to get the result.
Main Differences Between Surface Area and The Area
- The area is used for calculating the area occupied by the 2D figure like rectangle, square and circles whereas the surface area is used for calculating the area occupied by a 3D figure like cube, cuboid etc.
- Area doesn’t have any further extensions whereas the Surface area has three extension namely total surface area, lateral surface area and curved surface area.
- While calculating the area of say a rectangle being a 2D figure only length and breath will be calculated therefore while calculating area only the sides are put in focus whereas while calculating the surface area say cuboid all sides that is length, breath and height will be taken into focus therefore while calculating surface area all dimensions are calculated.
- Area can be calculated for instance of wall to check the amount of paint required to paint the wall whereas the surface area is used for actual items like a cabinet that will be put in a room whose length, width and height will be calculated to know the area occupied in the room.
- Hence, area calculates the square meter of any area whereas the surface area calculated the exposed dimensions and area of occupancy.
Conclusion
Today, maths is not only a study of numbers but maths is used in every aspect like building etc. Area and Surface area are the most common used abbreviations in maths but are still mixed up and confused. Area is used to calculate the area occupied by a 2D figure and the square meter occupied, but the surface area helps in calculating the area of 3D figure while calculating the surface area all the dimensions that is height, length and width is calculated, Surface area has extensions that is;
- TSA (Total Surface Area)- It helps calculate the area of all surface including the top and bottom.
- CSA (Curved Surface Area)- It helps to calculate the area of only curved surfaces.
- LSA (Lateral Surface Area)- It helps to calculate the area of all surface excluding the top and bottom.
References
https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/Abstract/2001/03000/The_Natural_History_of_the_Growth_of_the_Hand__I_.12.aspx