Why might two students have different calculated areas when measuring the same rectangle?

• A. The formula for area of a rectangle is different for each student.
• B. They may have used different measurement tools or made different measurement errors.
• C. The actual area of the rectangle changes each time it is measured.
• D. One student used $<$ instead of $>$ in their calculation.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the formula for the area of a rectangle is always the same: \(\text{Area} = \text{length} \times \text{width}\). This means the difference in calculated areas does not come from using different formulas.
2. Consider that measurement tools can vary in precision and accuracy. For example, one student might use a ruler with millimeter markings, while another uses a ruler with only centimeter markings, leading to different measurements.
3. Recognize that human error can occur during measurement, such as misreading the scale, not measuring from the exact edges, or rounding numbers differently, which affects the final area calculation.
4. Note that the actual physical rectangle does not change size between measurements, so any difference in area must come from measurement or calculation errors, not from the rectangle itself.
5. Check that both students use the correct mathematical operations and symbols in their calculations, as using incorrect symbols (like '<' instead of '>') would not be appropriate in calculating area and would indicate a misunderstanding rather than a measurement difference.