Question

Ok so i have a triangle (not right triangle) that has sides that are 12 15 and 16 feet long. That's all i know. How do i find the area?

Answer 1

Area of a triangle is 1/2base * height

Answer 2

yeah but there is no height.

Answer 3

oh 16 is the base. 12 is the left sinde and 15 is the right side

Answer 4

see how the line for height seperates the big triangle into 2 right triangles?

Answer 5

So now you have 2 triangles...1 with hypotenuse 15 ...a base of x...and height of h

another with hypotenuse 12...base 16-x ..and height h

Answer 6

Ok so now I just find the area of the smaller ones?

Answer 7

in general yes....so you take the pythagorean theorem for each triangle...lets focus on the smaller one first

Answer 8

use the Heron's formula
area = sqrt{s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)}
with a,b,c are sides of triangle, s is half of the perimeter of triangle

Answer 9

H² + B² = 12²

We want height so

H² = 144 - B²

Now we look at the other triangle

15² = H² + (16-x)

and sub in what you got for H²

Answer 10

Actually yeah...instead of step by step...use the Heron's formula

Answer 11

Like RadEn said

Answer 12

Ok. Thank you so much! Both of you! @johnweldon1993 @RadEn

Answer 13

I wish I could give you both best response :P

Answer 14

Ehh I would give it to RadEn, he made it a LOT simpler...in math...we like simpler lol

Answer 15

ok. Thanks maybe you will get one later! @johnweldon1993