Which is the correct formula for the area of a triangle?

• A. 1/2 × base × height
• B. base × height
• C. (base × height) / 4
• D. base^2 + height^2

Answer: (A)

The area of a triangle is found by taking one-half of the product of its base and its height. The base is any side you choose as the reference, and the height is the perpendicular distance from that base to the opposite vertex. If you imagine a rectangle with the same base and height, the triangle fits exactly half of that rectangle, so its area is (1/2) × base × height. For example, with a base of 6 units and a height of 4 units, the area is 0.5 × 6 × 4 = 12 square units. The other expressions don’t fit: base × height gives the full area of the rectangle, not half; (base × height) / 4 is only a quarter of that rectangle; and base^2 + height^2 is a Pythagorean relation, not an area formula.