The sides of a rectangle are x and y, respectively. Find the rule for finding the perimeter of the rectangle.

Answer

To find the rule for calculating the perimeter of a rectangle with sides \( x \) and \( y \), follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Dimensions**:
- The rectangle has two dimensions: length and breadth. Let's denote the length as \( x \) and the breadth as \( y \).

2. **Draw the Rectangle**:
- Visualizing the rectangle can help. Draw a rectangle and label the longer side as \( x \) (length) and the shorter side as \( y \) (breadth).

3. **Identify the Opposite Sides**:
- In a rectangle, opposite sides are equal. Therefore, there are two lengths (both \( x \)) and two breadths (both \( y \)).

4. **Write the Perimeter Formula**:
- The perimeter \( P \) of a rectangle is the sum of all its sides. This can be expressed as:
\[ P = x + y + x + y \]

5. **Combine Like Terms**:
- Combine the lengths and breadths:
\[ P = 2x + 2y \]

6. **Factor the Expression**:
- You can factor out the common factor of 2:
\[ P = 2(x + y) \]

7. **Final Rule**:
- The rule for finding the perimeter of a rectangle is:
\[ P = 2(x + y) \]
- This means the perimeter is equal to two times the sum of the length and breadth.