Areas of parallelograms

Can you find the area of a parallelogram defined by two vectors?
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Problem

Areas of Parallelograms printable sheet

 

Here are two parallelograms, defined by the vectors $\mathbf{p}$ and $\mathbf{q}$. Can you find their areas?
 
a) $\mathbf{p}=\left(\begin{array}{c}3\\ 0\end{array}\right), \mathbf{q}=\left(\begin{array}{c}5 \\ 2\end{array}\right)$
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Areas of parallelograms


b) $\mathbf{p}=\left(\begin{array}{c}3 \\ 2\end{array}\right), \mathbf{q}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0 \\ 4\end{array}\right)$
Image
Areas of parallelograms



Choose different vectors $\mathbf{p}$ and $\mathbf{q}$, where one vector is parallel to an axis, and find the areas of the corresponding parallelograms.

Can you discover a quick way of doing this?

Here are two more parallelograms, again defined by vectors $\mathbf{p}$ and $\mathbf{q}$. This time, neither $\mathbf{p}$ nor $\mathbf{q}$ is parallel to an axis.

Can you find the areas of these parallelograms?

c) $\mathbf{p}=\left(\begin{array}{c}4 \\ 1\end{array}\right), \mathbf{q}=\left(\begin{array}{c}3 \\ 3\end{array}\right)$

Image
Areas of parallelograms
 

 



d) $\mathbf{p}=\left(\begin{array}{c}2 \\ 4\end{array}\right), \mathbf{q}=\left(\begin{array}{c}-1 \\ 3\end{array}\right)$

Image
Areas of parallelograms
 

 

 



Choose some other vectors p and q, where neither p nor q is parallel to an axis.

Can you find a quick way of working out the areas of the corresponding parallelograms?

Can you find the area of the parallelogram defined by the vectors $\mathbf{p}=\left(\begin{array}{c}a \\ b\end{array}\right)$ and $\mathbf{q}=\left(\begin{array}{c}c \\ d\end{array}\right)$?

If you have found a rule, does it ever give you negative areas?

If so, can you predict which vector pairs have this effect?