Question

plot and connect the points listed below. when you are done, find the area of the triangle.
a(-1, -4), b(-1, 3), c(5, -4)
click on the graph to plot a point. click a point to delete it.
when you are done, press \graph figure\ to see the result.
graph with x-axis from -6 to 6 and y-axis from -5 to 6

Explanation:

Step1: Identify base and height

Points \( A(-1, -4) \) and \( B(-1, 3) \) have the same \( x \)-coordinate, so the distance between them (height) is \( |3 - (-4)| = 7 \). Points \( A(-1, -4) \) and \( C(5, -4) \) have the same \( y \)-coordinate, so the distance between them (base) is \( |5 - (-1)| = 6 \).

Step2: Calculate area

The formula for the area of a triangle is \( \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} \). Substituting the values, we get \( \frac{1}{2} \times 6 \times 7 \).

Step3: Simplify the expression

\( \frac{1}{2} \times 6 \times 7 = 3 \times 7 = 21 \).

Answer:

21