Help with area of a triangle with vertices:

Find area of a triangle with vertices (-8,10),(6,17), and (2,-4)
I have no idea where to even start.
Thanks!

Question

Help with area of a triangle with vertices:

Find area of a triangle with vertices (-8,10),(6,17), and (2,-4) 
I have no idea where to even start. 
Thanks!

freckles · Answer

use heron's formula

tw101 · Answer

I haven't learned that yet...

tw101 · Answer

what is it?

freckles · Answer

it is a formula to find the area of a triangle

freckles · Answer

using the lengths of the sides

mathmale · Answer

That's a great approach, but one I've used before.

An alternative approach would be to graph the given vertices of the triangle and then use either the distance formula or the Pyth. Theorem to determine the length of the base and the height of this triangle.

Then, Area A = (1/2)*base*height

tw101 · Answer

Okay. Do you use the distance formula to figure out the distances between the points?

tw101 · Answer

@mathmale

freckles · Answer

yes

tw101 · Answer

Okay

tw101 · Answer

Is that all you need to do then?

tw101 · Answer

Sorry i just realized he said distance or pyth. theorem already haha

sweetnikkie072 · Answer

find side using distnce formula d= √(x2-x1)^2+(y2-y1)^2
use triangle's area= 1/2*base*height using the above found sides

tw101 · Answer

Okay thanks you guys! that helps

sweetnikkie072 · Answer

you can use pythagoras theorem only when trianle is 90º aka right angled triangle

tw101 · Answer

Gotcha. I wish i could medal all of you guys!

freckles · Answer

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