10 Area

Introduction

To calculate the area of a triangle, we first need to understand how to calculate the area of a rectangle.

For example:

The area of this 3×5 rectangle is simply 3*5=15m^2, if we suppose the dimensions have been given in meters.

The formula to calculate the area of a rectangle is Area=Width*Height

The area of the triangle of the same rectangle is half the area of the rectangle, i.e.:

So the formula for area of a triangle is Area=1/2.(Width*Height)

In this example, it would be (3*5)/2=15/2= 7.5m^2

Even if the triangle is not a right-angled triangle, it is still half of a rectangle, i.e.:

So the formula is still Area=1/2.(Base*Height)

In the above example, it would be (3*5)/2=15/2=7.5m^2

Remember to use the Height though, and NOT the length of one of the sides!