494 CHAPTER 9: LENGTH, AREA AND VOLUME

9F Area of a triangle
Start thinking!
A triangle has three sides. The dimensions base and height are always at right angles to each other.

height height height

base base base

The area of a triangle can be compared to the area of a parallelogram or rectangle

(as a rectangle is a type of parallelogram).

1 Copy each parallelogram shown below. A triangle has been formed inside each shape.

triangle 1 triangle 3
triangle 2

2 Label the base and the height on each diagram.

3 How does the area of the triangle compare to the parallelogram in each case?

4 If the rule for the area of a parallelogram is base × height, write a rule for the area of a triangle.

KEY IDEAS
1
Rule for area of a triangle: Area = 2 × base × height

Formula for area (A) of a triangle, where b represents the

h
base measurement and h represents the height:
1 1
A = 2 × b × h (or A = 2bh)
b

The base and height must be perpendicular to each other.

The measurements for b and h must be in the same unit before substituting into the
formula.

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EXERCISE 9F Area of a triangle

1 Copy each triangle and label the base and the height.
U N DE R S TA N DING A N D F LU E NC Y

a b c
5m 15 cm
4 mm

8m
16 cm
6 mm

d e f
8 cm 6 cm 7 cm 13 mm 5.2 m
5 mm 3.5 m

10 cm
12 mm 2.4 m

EXAMPLE 9F-1 Calculating area of a triangle using a formula

Calculate the area of this triangle.

5 cm

6 cm

THINK WRITE
1
1 Identify the shape (triangle). Write the formula for the A=2×b×h
area of a triangle.
2 Identify the measurements for b and h. Check that b = 6 cm
they are in the same unit (yes). h = 5 cm
1
3 Substitute the values for b and h into the formula. A = 2 × 6 cm × 5 cm
4 Calculate the result and include the appropriate unit. = 15 cm2

2 Calculate the area of each triangle in question 1.

3 Find the area of the triangles with these dimensions.

a base 12 cm, height 9 cm
b base 24 mm, height 4 mm
c base 5 m, height 3 m
d base 8.6 cm, height 7 cm
e base 14.2 mm, height 9.7 mm
f base 17.03 m, height 15.4 m

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4 a Draw diagrams of three different triangles where the base measurement is 10 cm

U N DE R S TA N DING A N D F LU E NC Y

and the height measurement is 6 cm.

b Calculate the area of each triangle.

5 Calculate the area of metal required for each sign.

75 cm
a b

45 cm
65 cm

60 cm

EXAMPLE 9F-2 Calculating area of a triangle after converting units

Calculate the area of this triangle. 95 cm

4.8 m

THINK WRITE
1
1 Identify the shape (triangle). Write the formula for the A=2×b×h
area of a triangle.
2 Identify the measurements for b and h. Check that b = 4.8 m
they are both in the same units (no). Convert h to h = 95 cm = 0.95 m
metres.
1
3 Substitute the values for b and h into the formula. A = 2 × 4.8 m × 0.95 m
4 Calculate the result and include the appropriate unit. = 2.28 m2

6 Calculate the area of each triangle.

a 8 mm b

182 cm
0.6 cm

1.5 m

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c d 7.8 cm
U N DE R S TA N DING A N D F LU E NC Y

3.6 cm
60 mm
45 mm

e 3.4 m f 50 mm

4 cm
210 cm
30 mm

7 Find the area of each triangle with these dimensions.

a base 8 cm, height 30 mm
b base 16 mm, height 3 cm
c base 4 m, height 50 cm
d base 310 cm, height 10 m 41 cm

e base 0.7 cm, height 20 mm

f base 2.8 m, height 97 cm

8 Calculate the area of metal required

for this sign.
0.48 m

9 a A student calculates the area of the triangle shown

at right to be 90 cm2. Is this correct? Explain your 15 cm
9 cm
answer. If it is not correct, work out what the answer
should be.
b Calculate the perimeter of this triangle. 12 cm

10 Calculate i the area and ii the perimeter of each triangle.

Use a ruler to obtain the necessary measurements.
a b

c d

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11 Calculate the area of each composite shape.

U N DE R S TA N DING A N D F LU E NC Y

a b
4 cm

10 m
7m
5 cm

8m
12 cm

c d
25 m
2 mm
4 mm

25 m
50 m
5 mm 20 m

e 9 mm 2 mm 6 mm

9 mm
20 mm

f
16 cm
10 cm

13 cm 12 m
8 cm 6 cm
12 m

12 Calculate the amount of sailcloth

P R O B L E M S O LV I N G A N D R E A S O N I N G

needed for the two triangular sails

on this boat.
4m

3.5 m

13 Calculate the area shaded orange

in each shape below.
a b

18 cm 48 cm

18 cm 48 cm

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14 Write three sets of possible dimensions for triangles with these areas.
a 32 cm2 b 40 m2

15 The area of a triangle is 20 cm2. If the base is 10 cm long, what is the height?

16 If the total area that has been enamelled

on these earrings is 270 mm2, calculate
how wide each earring is at the top.
18 mm

17 Use your understanding of how to find the area of a triangle to calculate the area of
CHALLENGE

metal needed for each of these signs.

a 24 cm b

22.5 cm
10.4 cm

12 cm
30 cm

26 cm

18 Estimate the total area of fabric needed to make the sail used by this windsurfer.

Reflect
What is important to remember
about the base and height of a
triangle?

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9G Surface area
Start thinking!
The surface area of a 3D object is the total area of its surface.
Drawing a net of the object helps us to identify the shapes that
make up the surface.
For example, the rectangular prism and its net can be drawn for
this tissue box.

1 How many faces does the rectangular

prism have?

2 Explain how the net of the prism can

help you work out the surface area.

KEY IDEAS
back
The surface area of a 3D object is the total area left side
of the outer surface of the object. top
right
The surface area of a prism is the sum of the front side
areas of each face of the prism.
bottom
A rectangular prism has six faces. There are
three pairs of identical faces.
back
Drawing the net of a prism can help you see all
the faces of the prism and allow you to calculate
left bottom right
the surface area more easily. side side

front

top

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