Which expression correctly gives the area of a triangle with base b and height h?

Which expression correctly gives the area of a triangle with base b and height h?

• A. A = b h
• B. A = (b h)/3
• C. A = b h / 2
• D. A = 1/2 b h

Answer: (D)

The area of a triangle is half the product of its base and height. Using a rectangle with the same base and height, the rectangle’s area is b times h, and cutting it diagonally forms two congruent triangles, so each triangle has half that area. That gives A = (1/2) b h, which is the standard expression for the triangle’s area. The form b h / 2 is algebraically the same, but the convention is to write the 1/2 in front, matching the expression shown. The other options would describe a rectangle’s area or a fraction unrelated to the triangle in question, so they don’t apply here.

The area of a triangle is half the product of its base and height. Using a rectangle with the same base and height, the rectangle’s area is b times h, and cutting it diagonally forms two congruent triangles, so each triangle has half that area. That gives A = (1/2) b h, which is the standard expression for the triangle’s area. The form b h / 2 is algebraically the same, but the convention is to write the 1/2 in front, matching the expression shown. The other options would describe a rectangle’s area or a fraction unrelated to the triangle in question, so they don’t apply here.