Which formula gives the area of a triangle in terms of base and height?

• A. A = b * h
• B. A = 1/2 * b * h
• C. A = π r^2
• D. A = 2 * b * h

Answer: (B)

Area of a triangle equals one-half times its base times its height. The height is the perpendicular distance from the base to the opposite vertex. Imagine a rectangle with the same base and height; its area is base × height. A triangle that sits inside that rectangle covers exactly half of that area, because the rectangle can be divided into two congruent triangles by a diagonal. So the triangle’s area is (1/2) × base × height. This distinguishes it from the rectangle area (base × height) and from the circle area (πr^2).