- #1
huntingrdr
- 24
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Homework Statement
Show that the area of a triangle with sides of lengths a and b with included angle theta is...
A = 1/2 a*b*sin(theta)
I am not sure what this question is really asking. Any help?
Furthermore, since the OP's problem states only that it is a triangle, he/she should not assume that it is a right triangle.GunnaSix said:It isn't necessarily a right triangle. Try making side "a" the base and dropping a height "h" down from the opposite corner.
The formula for calculating the area of a triangle is: (base x height) / 2. This means you multiply the length of the base of the triangle by its height, and then divide that number by 2.
To find the height of a triangle, you can use the Pythagorean theorem: h = √(a² + b²), where a and b are the lengths of the two sides of the triangle that form a right angle. Another method is to draw an altitude from one of the triangle's vertices to the opposite side, creating a right triangle. You can then use the Pythagorean theorem to find the height.
Yes, you can use Heron's formula to calculate the area of a triangle with the lengths of its sides. The formula is: √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is the semi-perimeter of the triangle (s = (a+b+c)/2) and a, b, and c are the lengths of the sides.
Yes, you can use the formula for the area of an equilateral triangle, which is (side length)^2 * √3 / 4. This means you multiply the square of the side length by the square root of 3, and then divide that number by 4.
No, the area of a triangle cannot be negative. It is always a positive value, representing the amount of space inside the triangle.