Area of a Triangle

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What is a Triangle?

A triangle is a three-sided polygon, a simple figure connected by three straight sides. Triangles are identified based on the size of their angles and the length of their sides.

The three main types of triangles are:

  • Equilateral triangles: These triangles have all angles of equal size (60 degrees) and all sides of equal length.
  • Isosceles triangles: These triangles have two angles of equal size and two sides of equal length.
  • Scalene triangles: These triangles have three angles of different sizes and three sides of different lengths.

However, whatever the size and length of angles and sides, the sum of the inner side angles of any type of triangle is always 180 degrees. This means that the three angles of any shape of a triangle will always add up to 180 degrees.

Triangles have an important role in geometry and can be found in many real-world applications, such as in various fields of mathematics, engineering, and physics, and even in the construction of buildings and bridges.

Area of the Triangle

To calculate the area of a triangle, you will require the base and the height of the triangle. The area of a triangle is equivalent to one and a half of the base times the height:

A = (1/2)bh

where A is the triangle area, b is the triangle base, and h is the height of the triangle.

To calculate the height of the triangle, draw a perpendicular line from the vertex of the triangle to the base of the triangle. The length of this perpendicular line from the vertex to the base is the height of the triangle.

Now, let’s say, we have a triangle with a base of 10 and a height of 5. Then, the area of this triangle would be:

A = (1/2)bh = (1/2)(10)(5) = 25

From the above calculation we find, the area of this triangle is 25.

Note: The base and the height of a triangle must be perpendicular to each other.

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