Question

aiden calculated the area of triangle qrs below by finding half the product of 1.5 and 1.1.

what error did aiden make?

aiden should have found half the product of 1.1 and 1.2 because the 1.5 line is not a dotted line in the figure.
aiden should have found half the product of 1.1 and 5.4 because the 1.5 line is not perpendicular to the 1.1 line.
aiden should have found half the product of 1.5 and 1.2 because the 1.1 line is not perpendicular to the 1.5 line.
aiden should have found half the product of 1.5 and 5.4 because the 1.1 line is a dotted line and not part of the figure.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for the area of a triangle

The formula for the area of a triangle is \(A=\frac{1}{2}\times base\times height\), where the base and height must be perpendicular to each other.

Step2: Analyze the given values

In triangle \(QRS\), the line segment of length \(1.1\) is the height. The base should be the length of the side to which this height is perpendicular. The total length of the base \(QS = 0.9+4.5=5.4\). The side of length \(1.5\) (\(QR\)) is not perpendicular to the height of length \(1.1\).

Answer:

Aiden should have found half the product of \(1.1\) and \(5.4\) because the \(1.5\) line is not perpendicular to the \(1.1\) line. So the answer is the second option.