Chapter 6: Problem 29
Find the area of the triangle whose sides have the given lengths. \(a=9, \quad b=12, \quad c=15\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The area of the triangle is 54 square units.
Step by step solution
01
Verify if the Triangle is Valid
To find the area of a triangle with given side lengths, first confirm that these sides can form a triangle. Apply the triangle inequality theorem: for sides a, b, and c to form a triangle, the sum of any two sides must be greater than the third.Check:1. \(a + b > c\), i.e., \(9 + 12 > 15\). This is true since 21 > 15.2. \(a + c > b\), i.e., \(9 + 15 > 12\). This is true since 24 > 12.3. \(b + c > a\), i.e., \(12 + 15 > 9\). This is true since 27 > 9.Since all inequalities hold, the sides can form a triangle.
02
Calculate the Semi-Perimeter
The semi-perimeter \(s\) of a triangle is calculated as half the sum of its side lengths. Use the formula:\[ s = \frac{a + b + c}{2} \]Substitute the given values:\[ s = \frac{9 + 12 + 15}{2} = \frac{36}{2} = 18 \]
03
Apply Heron's Formula
Heron's formula allows us to find the area of a triangle when the lengths of all three sides are known. The formula is:\[ A = \sqrt{s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)} \]Substitute the values for \(s\), \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\):\[ A = \sqrt{18(18-9)(18-12)(18-15)} \]\[ A = \sqrt{18 \times 9 \times 6 \times 3} \]
04
Calculate the Area
Now, compute the simplified expression within the square root:Calculate the multiplication: \(9 \times 6 = 54\) and \(54 \times 3 = 162\).Then multiply by 18: \(18 \times 162\).Instead, calculate each multiplication with proper simplification:\[ A = \sqrt{18 \times 9 \times 6 \times 3} \]\[ A = \sqrt{2916} \]Finally, calculate \(\sqrt{2916} = 54\).Thus, the area \(A\) is 54 square units.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Triangle Inequality Theorem
The **Triangle Inequality Theorem** is a fundamental concept in geometry that ensures three sides can indeed form a triangle. It states that for any three sides to constitute a triangle:
- The sum of the lengths of any two sides must be greater than the length of the remaining side.
- This must hold true for all three combinations of added side lengths.
- The sum of 9 and 12 is 21, which is greater than 15.
- The sum of 9 and 15 is 24, which is greater than 12.
- The sum of 12 and 15 is 27, which is greater than 9.
Semi-Perimeter Formula
The **Semi-Perimeter Formula** is often used in triangle-related calculations, especially for finding the area using Heron's Formula. The semi-perimeter of a triangle is simply half of the triangle's perimeter, providing a key value used in further computations.To compute the semi-perimeter \(s\), use the formula:\[ s = \frac{a + b + c}{2} \]where \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) are the side lengths of the triangle.In our case, substituting in the given values:
- \(a = 9\), \(b = 12\), \(c = 15\)
- Calculate the sum: \(9 + 12 + 15 = 36\)
- Then, divide by 2: \(s = \frac{36}{2} = 18\)
Area of Triangle
To find the **Area of a Triangle** when the side lengths are known, we use **Heron's Formula**. This formula is highly effective because it calculates area using only the side lengths, avoiding the need for angles or height.Heron's Formula is expressed as:\[ A = \sqrt{s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)} \]where \(s\) is the semi-perimeter and \(a\), \(b\), \(c\) are the sides of the triangle. Here's how to apply it:
- Calculate \(s = 18\), as we did before.
- Substitute: \(A = \sqrt{18(18-9)(18-12)(18-15)}\)
- This becomes \(A = \sqrt{18 \times 9 \times 6 \times 3}\).
- Calculate under the root: 18 times 9 is 162; 162 times 6 is 972; 972 times 3 equals 2916.
- Finally, find \(\sqrt{2916} = 54\).