Area of a rectangle dimensions 0.4m by 0.8 m

The area of a rectangle is length x width.

If I apply this formula for the rectangle I want:

0.4 x 0.8 = 0.32

So therefore the area of the rectangle is 0.32 m cubed, but how can the area of the rectangle be smaller than the length and width of the rectangle?

And here's the other thing, if I convert metres to centimetres, I get 40 cm x 80 cm, which is 3200 cm squared, convert that to metres, the area should be 32 m squared, which also doesn't make sense because 4 metres x 8 metres would also be equal to 32 metres squared.

So my question is what is the area of a rectangle in which the dimensions are 0.4 m and 0.8 m?

Someone please help.

You were right at the beginning. For 0.4 m by 0.8 m, we multiply:

.4*.8 m*m = .32 m^2 (note here you said cubed, but everywhere else you said squared so I'll assume this was a mistake)

If you convert to centimeteres you get 40cm x 80cm = 3200 cm^2, to convert back remember 1cm = .01m, so:

3200 cm^2 = 3200 (.01 m)^2 = 3200 * .01^2 m^2 = .32 m^2

So you're doing well, you just need to remember to convert your units more carefully. If your conversion is cm -> m and you have cm^2 and want m^2 you need to square the conversion factor (in this case its .01, so .01^2 = .0001)

Hope this helped, also don't worry about such simple mistakes. I make them all the time and I've been doing this for years.

The answer should be smaller than the original numbers because you are multiplying numbers that are less that 1.

fraction x fraction = a smaller fraction
(1/2) x (1/2) = 1/4
(1/3) x (1/6) = 1/18

When you convert to cm, you now have numbers that are large than one and the product is a larger number.
3200 cm^2 to convert back to m^2 means dividing by (100)^2 = 10,000
3200/10,000 = .32 m^2 your original answer

0.32 m^2 is correct