would taking the width vs. the height of a leaf give you surface area?

Question

We are doing a project on Maple trees, and want to know how to find the area of a maple leaf. do you just measure how wide it is, and then measure how long it is, and then multiply? or is there another, more specific way of finding leaf surface area?

Answer 1

The problem with doing that is that will give you the area of a rectangle in which the leaf will fit.

There are a few ways to find the area a little more accurately, however here's what I would do if you want a really accurate answer.

Get some graph paper or draw yourself a grid. Lay the leaf over it and trace around the edge. Then, count the squares. You can figure the area from adding up all the squares and partial squares.

You can also try to divide the leaf into triangular shapes and use the area of a triangle equation, although the trace method will give you a more accurate answer.

Answer 2

That would work if they were rectangular.
Here's a better way. Take a graph paper with 1cm squares and trace the leaf on it. Then count the full squares inside and round up or down, sort of, on the squares that ride the edge. That'll give you the area in square centimeters about as accurate as any other way.
That should be a better method.

Answer 3

or cut out 1 square inch of leaf ... weigh it = wt/inch^2

weigh your leaf = total leaf wt

then total area in inch^2 = total leaf wt/(wt/inch^2)

to get an average leaf area weigh a whole bunch of leafs and repeat

Answer 4

Hi. Try this link : http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/mathline/concepts/plants/activity3.shtm