What is the formula to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle?

The formula to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle is given by 2l + 2w, where l represents the length and w represents the width of the rectangle. This formula is derived from the fact that a rectangle has two lengths and two widths. To find the perimeter, we add together the lengths of all four sides: two lengths and two widths.

For instance, if a rectangle has a length of 5 units and a width of 3 units, the perimeter would be calculated as follows: 2(5) + 2(3) = 10 + 6 = 16 units. This formula applies universally to rectangles and helps in easily determining the total distance around the shape.

The other options do not represent the perimeter of a rectangle correctly. For example, lw represents the area of the rectangle, while l + w would only give the sum of one length and one width, not the total distance around the rectangle. The expression 4s would be applicable only to a square, where all four sides are equal, but is not relevant for rectangles. Thus, choosing 2l + 2w is the accurate solution for calculating the perimeter of a rectangle.