When using the area formula A = 1/2 * base * height, what must be known to use the formula?

To effectively use the area formula for a triangle, A = 1/2 * base * height, it is essential to know both the base and the height of the triangle. The base refers to one side of the triangle that is typically taken as the bottom edge in standard position, while the height is the perpendicular distance from that base to the opposite vertex.

Knowing only the base or only the height would be insufficient to calculate the area since the formula specifically requires both measurements to compute the area accurately. The relationship within the formula indicates that the area is derived from a product of the base and height, scaled down by a factor of one-half. Without either value, the calculation cannot be performed correctly, emphasizing the need for both dimensions to be known to apply the formula.