What's it for: Shapes and Area

In your home

Have you ever tried to plan where to put furniture in a room? Maybe you've used a room planner on your computer or phone - these all use shapes and area to help us see how to place furniture for appeal and efficiency.

Just working out how big a room actually is needs an understanding of space, perimeter and area. Will that new reclining chair fit in the living room? How big a bed can I fit in this bedroom, and will anything else fit once it's in?

Spatial logic is at the heart of geometry. Have you ever needed to stack a pantry so that all the items will fit, and will be easy to access when you need them? This uses the same thinking about shapes, space, and order that children are taught in school.

Packing or moving

Fitting things into a bag is a practical use of geometric thinking. Working out the best way to get awkward shapes to fit together can help you get more into a bag or suitcase.

Similarly, thinking through the shapes you need to pack into a box is a practical use of geometry. How will they all fit in? And when you've got them packed, how will you get large boxes through the rooms and out of the door of your house?

Gardens

Gardens use space and shapes for layout, and layouts can give us a sense of harmony. Do you like a symmetrical garden, or one that is asymmetrical? If you want to grow some vegetables, what size and shape beds will give the maximum amount of space to grow as many vegetables as we can? Measuring area and perimeter helps you make the space the way you like it.

Cooking or baking

Planning to make a casserole or bake a cake relies on the same maths skills that children use at school. Should you use a round pan or a rectangular pan? Which will be easier to cut up into equal size pieces for everyone?

Understanding and being able to use geometry opens many doors for employment. It is an essential skill for lots of trades and professions, such as:

Building and construction trades: all construction relies on geometric thinking to create materials and build with them. Trades like carpentry, roofing, painting and plastering all use perimeter and area to work out the size and quantity of materials. Tiling and bricklaying both require an understanding of shapes and patterns to get the job done efficiently and well.

Clothing and material design: people who design material and clothing need an understanding of geometric shapes and patterns to develop clothing that is appealing to the buyer. Draping the human form and creating shapes with material rely on an understanding of shapes and physical space.

Architectural design: the knowledge of shapes and space is essential when designing buildings.

Planning and engineering: knowledge of shapes, size and space are important when planning to construct houses, hotels, office buildings, factories and so on.

Interior design: looking at the shapes of pieces of furniture and the space where this furniture will fit is an important part of interior design, needed to make a place look appealing and to make sure the space is used efficiently.

Art: an artist needs knowledge of shapes, lines and patterns when creating their artwork, and many art schools include the study of shape and line in their training.

Visual design and graphics: our built world is full of visuals that are designed using geometric rules. Anything that is designed on a computer, such as logos, websites, billboards, signs or advertising of any kind, involves the knowledge and use of geometric shapes.

Game design and programming: designing video games involves a good understanding of geometry, as shapes are used to design and build all game elements and animations.

Medical imaging/radiography: radiographers train in medical imaging, which uses geometric shapes to create the images that are seen on x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRI scans and other imaging technologies. A good understanding of geometry is required to qualify as a radiographer.

Geometry is used in many professions and trades, and a person will need to know some geometry to undertake training or gain qualifications in jobs like those outlined above.

Knowing how shapes and objects fit together is a skill used to maximize efficiency and visual appeal. Calculating perimeter or area is essential to many trades.

A lot of the basics of geometry also helps children learn about order, sequence and logic, which is so helpful in daily life.