I have to find the area of a triangular pyramid (not tetrahedran).

I know that I first need to find the base and the height for the "base" of my pyramid. But how exactly do i find the height?

Question

I have to find the area of a triangular pyramid (not tetrahedran).

I know that I first need to find the base and the height for the "base" of my pyramid. But how exactly do i find the height?

anonymous · Answer

Is it right angle equilateral or isosceles?

anonymous · Answer

http://images.tutorvista.com/cms/images/38/volume-of-triangular-pyramid.jpg I don't think that its a right-angled, but i have to check, all I'm actually given is vector coordinates.

anonymous · Answer

Sorry cant help you with this and its isosceles.

anonymous · Answer

I need to understand how to find the apothem first

ddcamp · Answer

Use the formula for a parallelepiped. 
V = | v₃ dot (v₁ × v₂)|
The pyramid defined by three vectors will take half of this volume.

anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much, I was already ready to do things way way more complicated.

anonymous · Answer

@DDCamp hey can you calculate the area for me of vectors (12,0,0) (0,6,0) and (0,0,4) and tell me what you get, because I tried doing it the way you told me, and then it didn't quite give me the answer i was supposed to get

anonymous · Answer

Hey @IsaiahCC100 this is actually a pyramid which has three right angles

anonymous · Answer

I get volume of 144 and the answers say it should be 48. am i wrong or are the answers wrong?

anonymous · Answer

@kingdeolt  thank you for correcting me but if you could try not to give the answer and instead walk them through to the answer by saying the steps and letting them figure it out but tell them if they are right or wrong. Thank you

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, it was my question :). So i was wondering if you could work it out and tell me what answer you get. Because I did it in two different ways and got 144 for the area of the pyramid. If you work it out, do you get 144 or 48?

anonymous · Answer

Oh sorry i havent quite been paying attention i was going between 2 other questions and a online chess game give me a minute and i will help

anonymous · Answer

SOrry not to good at vectors could you translate them to the perimeter lengths and which side they apply to please

anonymous · Answer

three vectors with length of 12,6,4 all right-angled to each other