Interactive · 4 questions
AREA OF TRIANGLES :- There are three easy ways of calculating the area of triangles. Every method is most suitable with a particular type of triangle. These methods are
a) Area of a triangle in the terms of base and height
b) Area with herons formula
c) Area of an equilateral triangle
d) Area by using trigonometry
A) AREA IN THE TERMS OF BASE AND HEIGHT- This method is most useful with right angled triangle or when the base and height are given.

FIG 1
In this triangle, the base is taken as c. Height corresponding to the base is a perpendicular from the base touching a vertex of the triangle. To find the area of the triangle we have a simple formula : Area = 1/2 X base X corresponding height
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS :

FIG 2
In the given figure, the height is 8 cm and the base is 16 cm. Find the area of the triangle
B) AREA WITH HERONS FORMULA - By this formula we can calculate the area of any triangle if we just know its sides.

FIG 3
Herons formula states that the area of a triangle can be calculated if we know its sides. It says that -
AREA = √s(s−a)(s−b)(s−c)
In this formula s represents the semi-perimeter of the triangle. Semi-perimeter means half the original perimeter or perimeter/2. And a, b, c represent the lengths of 3 sides of the triangle.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS :

FIG 4 (not drawn to scale)
Calculate the area of the figure (FIG 4), using herons formula
C) AREA OF AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE - By this formula we can calculate the area of equilateral triangles by knowing its sides.

FIG 5
This theory states that the area of an equilateral triangle can be calculated if we know the side. It says that -
AREA OF AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE = (√3/4) a^2
In this formula a represents the measure of side of the triangle.
PROOF : Take the side of an equilateral triangle to be a. Now we draw a perpendicular bisector to one of the side in the equilateral triangle. As we can see a side is bisected. The two parts measure a/2. Now if we go by Pythagorean theoram we can calculate the perpendicular. It will measure :
√[a^2 - (a/2)^2]
= √[a^2 - (a^2/4)]
=√[4(a^2)/4 - (a^2)/4]
=√[3(a^2)/4] = √3a/2
Now when we have got the perpendicular we can multiply it with *1/2 X base *. We get that √3a/4 X a = [√3/4]a^2
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

FIG 6
Calculate the area of the triangle (FIG 6). Take the value of √3 to be 1.7 or 1.73
D) Area by using Trigonometry
Area of any triangle can be calculated if we know two sides and the included angle

Fig 7
AREA = (1/2) X ab X sinθ
where a and b are the side lengths and θ is the included angle
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS :
The sides of a triangle are 3 units and 4 units. Also the included angle measures 30 degrees. Find the area of the triangle, given that sin30 = (1/2).