What is the distance around a shape called?

• A. Diameter
• B. Radius
• C. Area
• D. Perimeter

Answer: (D)

The distance around a shape is called the perimeter. It’s found by adding up the lengths of all the outer sides or edges, which is like the total distance you'd walk if you went all the way around the figure. For example, a square with side length 3 would have a perimeter of 12. This is different from area, which measures how much space is inside the shape. Radius and diameter are about a circle: the radius is the distance from the center to the edge, and the diameter is twice that, going straight across through the center. The term for the distance around a circle specifically is the circumference, but for any shape the general term is perimeter.