How is the area of a triangle calculated?

The area of a triangle is calculated using the formula A = 1/2 * base * height. This formula is derived from the principle that a triangle can be considered half of a rectangle when both shapes share the same base and height.

In this context, the base represents one of the sides of the triangle along the bottom, while the height is the perpendicular distance from that base to the opposite vertex. The factor of 1/2 in the formula accounts for the fact that a triangle takes up half the area of a rectangle with the same base and height dimensions. Therefore, by multiplying the base by the height and then dividing by 2, you obtain the correct area for any triangle, regardless of its specific shape.