Question

find the area of the triangle below. be sure to include the correct unit in your answer.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall triangle area formula

The area of a triangle is given by \( A = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} \). Here, the base can be 13 cm (the side to which the height is perpendicular) and the height is 6 cm (the perpendicular distance from the opposite vertex to the base).

Step2: Substitute values into formula

Substitute base \( b = 13 \, \text{cm} \) and height \( h = 6 \, \text{cm} \) into the formula:
\( A = \frac{1}{2} \times 13 \times 6 \)

Step3: Calculate the area

First, multiply 13 and 6: \( 13 \times 6 = 78 \). Then, multiply by \( \frac{1}{2} \): \( \frac{1}{2} \times 78 = 39 \).

Answer:

\( 39 \, \text{square centimeters} \) (or \( 39 \, \text{cm}^2 \))