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    Area of A Triangle

    Uploaded by

    dandiar1
    The document provides formulas for calculating the area of a triangle based on knowing different combinations of sides and angles. It derives the formula for area as (1/2)ab*sin(γ) when knowing two sides a and b and the angle γ between them. It further derives Heron's formula for calculating the area of a triangle when all three sides are known as √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is (a+b+c)/2. It works through an example calculation using Heron's formula.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Area of A Triangle

    Uploaded by

    dandiar1
    232 views9 pages
    The document provides formulas for calculating the area of a triangle based on knowing different combinations of sides and angles. It derives the formula for area as (1/2)ab*sin(γ) when knowing two sides a and b and the angle γ between them. It further derives Heron's formula for calculating the area of a triangle when all three sides are known as √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is (a+b+c)/2. It works through an example calculation using Heron's formula.

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    Area of a Triangle.ppt

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    The document provides formulas for calculating the area of a triangle based on knowing different combinations of sides and angles. It derives the formula for area as (1/2)ab*sin(γ) when knowing two sides a and b and the angle γ between them. It further derives Heron's formula for calculating the area of a triangle when all three sides are known as √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is (a+b+c)/2. It works through an example calculation using Heron's formula.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    232 views9 pages

    Area of A Triangle

    Uploaded by

    dandiar1
    The document provides formulas for calculating the area of a triangle based on knowing different combinations of sides and angles. It derives the formula for area as (1/2)ab*sin(γ) when knowing two sides a and b and the angle γ between them. It further derives Heron's formula for calculating the area of a triangle when all three sides are known as √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is (a+b+c)/2. It works through an example calculation using Heron's formula.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 9

    AREA

    OF A
    TRIANGLE

    You probably already know the formula for the area of a triangle.
    Area is one-half the base times the height.

    1
    A bh
    2

    Sometimes we know the length of two sides of a triangle and


    the angle between them, but not necessarily the height. We
    can use the trig we'd learned to come up with a formula for
    finding the area of a triangle for this situation.
    Let's draw a line and put in the height.
    c

    h
    sin
    a

    a sin h

    We can use either of the right


    triangles formed and write a trig
    function we know. We'll use the
    one on the right.

    1
    A ba
    bh sin
    2

    1
    A ab sin
    2

    Often, we know the length of all three sides of a triangle, but


    not necessarily the height. We can use the trig we've learned
    to come up with a formula for finding the area of a triangle for
    this situation as well. We'll start with the Law of Cosines

    c 2 a 2 b 2 2ab cos
    a 2 b2 c2
    cos
    2ab

    solve for cos


    substitute this for cos

    Now take half angle formula:

    1 cos
    cos
    2
    2
    1 cos
    cos
    2
    2
    2

    square both sides

    a 2 b2 c2
    1
    2
    2ab
    cos
    2
    2

    a 2 b2 c2
    1
    get a common denominator on top
    2
    2ab
    cos
    (also moved terms around on top)
    2
    2
    2
    2
    2
    2
    2
    2

    2
    ab

    c
    2ab a b c
    cos 2
    2
    4ab
    2
    2ab
    cos

    2
    2
    invert and multiply
    factor
    1
    2
    difference of squares to factor
    a

    2
    cos

    c - 2c = - c
    2
    4ab
    1
    Let s a b c so a b c 2 s
    a

    c
    a

    2
    2
    cos

    Substitute and re-write 2nd factor


    2
    4ab
    2

    so you can substitute

    factor out a 2

    2s a b c 2c 2 s 2 s 2c 4s s c s s c
    cos

    2
    4ab
    4ab
    4ab
    ab
    2


    cos

    2
    2

    s s c Finally square

    root both sides


    and get

    ab

    s s c

    cos
    2
    ab

    We now need to do the same thing with the sine half angle
    formula to get an equation involving sine.
    Equation we
    Take half angle formula:
    got before
    from Law of

    1 cos
    sin
    square both sides
    Cosines
    2
    2

    a 2 b2 c2
    cos
    2ab

    1 cos
    sin

    2
    2
    2

    a b c
    1
    2
    2ab
    sin

    2
    2
    2

    substitute
    this for cos

    2ab a 2 b 2 c 2
    2
    2ab
    sin

    2
    2
    1

    Factor out a negative and


    invert and multiply the bottom
    to get:

    sin

    2
    2

    c a b
    2

    4ab

    c a b c a b

    4ab

    1
    a b c so a b c 2s
    2

    sin
    2

    s b s a
    ab

    sin

    2
    2

    c 2 a 2 2ab b 2
    4ab

    c a b c a b
    4ab

    Factor
    Factor-difference
    of squares

    a b c 2b a b c 2a

    4ab
    factor a 2 out of each
    2s 2b 2s 2a
    4ab
    Now we'll go
    back to area
    of triangle

    4 s b s a
    4ab

    s s c

    cos
    2
    ab

    s s c

    cos
    2
    ab

    s b s a

    sin
    2

    ab

    1
    A ab sin
    2

    sin 2 2sin cos

    Double Angle Formula --- Replace with


    2

    A ab 2sin cos
    2
    2
    2

    A ab

    s b s a
    ab

    sin 2sin cos


    2
    2

    s s c

    ab

    This is called
    Heron's
    Formula

    becomes ab squared which square rooted will be ab in the


    denominator which will cancel with ab out in front

    1
    A

    s
    s

    a
    s

    b
    s

    A s s a s b s c where s a b c
    2

    1
    A s s a s b s c where s a b c
    2
    Find the area of a triangle with sides measuring
    3 cm, 4 cm and 6 cm.
    4
    3

    1
    13
    s 3 4 6
    2
    2

    13 13 13
    13
    A
    3

    4
    6

    2 2
    2
    2

    A 5.33 cm2

    Acknowledgement
    I wish to thank Shawna Haider from Salt Lake Community College, Utah
    USA for her hard work in creating this PowerPoint.
    www.slcc.edu
    Shawna has kindly given permission for this resource to be downloaded
    from www.mathxtc.com and for it to be modified to suit the Western
    Australian Mathematics Curriculum.

    Stephen Corcoran
    Head of Mathematics
    St Stephens School Carramar
    www.ststephens.wa.edu.au

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