FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

What formula would you use to calculate the area of a triangle?

1. b + h

2. 1/2bh

3. bh

4. 2b + 2h

The correct answer is: 1/2bh

To calculate the area of a triangle, the formula used is \( \frac{1}{2}bh \), where \( b \) represents the base of the triangle and \( h \) represents its height. This formula is derived from the concept that the area of a triangle is half the area of a rectangle that has the same base and height. To clarify, the product \( bh \) gives you the area of a rectangle with a width equal to the base of the triangle and a height equal to the height of the triangle. Since a triangle occupies half the space of that rectangle, the area of the triangle is calculated by multiplying the rectangle's area by \( \frac{1}{2} \). The other options do not represent the area of a triangle: - The sum of the base and height (b + h) does not provide any area measure. - The product \( bh \) yields the area of a rectangle, not a triangle. - The expression \( 2b + 2h \) relates to the perimeter of a rectangle, not its area. Thus, using \( \frac{1}{2}bh \) effectively gives the correct area for a triangle.