Multi-Part Lesson

7-4 Area of Triangles and Trapezoids

PART A B C D E

Main Idea
I will find the areas Area of Triangles
of triangles.
In Lesson 7-4A, you learned that the area of a triangle is related to
Review Vocabulary the area of a rectangle and parallelogram. To find the area of a
triangle triangle, multiply the measures of the base and the height and
divide by two.

The base of a triangle can

macmillanmh.com
be any one of its sides.
The height is the shortest height (h)
distance from a base to
the opposite vertex. base (b)

$$"
Area of a Triangle

Words The area of a triangle A is Model

one-half the product of the
base b and its height h. h

Symbols A=_
bh
b
2

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FLAGS What is the area of the

triangle on the flag?
4 in. 6 in.

A=_
bh
Area of a triangle
2
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A=_
64
Replace b with 6 and h with 4.
2

A=_
24
Multiply 6 by 4.
2

A = 12 Divide by 2.

The area of the triangle on the flag is 12 square inches.

370 Chapter 7 Geometry: Area

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 Find the Area of a Triangle
Find the area of the triangle.

Multiply 2-digit 34 ft
numbers.
34
12
12 ft
68 Place
+ 34 0 a zero.

A=_
408 bh
Area of a triangle.
2

A= _
34 12
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Replace b with 34 and h with 12.
2

A=_
408
Multiply 34 and 12.
2

A = 204 Divide by 2.

The area of the triangle is 204 square feet.

Find the area of each triangle. See Examples 1 and 2 (pp. 370 and 371)
1. 2. 3.

10 in.

9 in.

4. 5. 6.
C07-081A-112057 C07-082A-112057 C07-083A-112057
3m
8 ft 16 cm

7 ft 6m
24 cm

7. The side of a triangular boat sail measures 9 feet and the height
measures 6 feet. How much fabric C07-085A-112057
was used to make the sail? C07-086A-112057
C07-084A-112057
8. Explain how two different triangles can have an area
of 24 square feet.

Lesson 7-4 Area of Triangles and Trapezoids 371

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 EXTRA 0R
P !C
2A )# E
# T4 IC %
See page R22.

Find the area of each triangle. See Examples 1 and 2 (pp. 370 and 371)
9. 10. 11. 12 in.

8 in.

12. 13. 14.

2 ft
C07-087A-112057 8 mm
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13 ft C07-089A-112057
13 cm
3 mm

16 cm
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15. base (b) = 13 ft 16. base (b) = 22 cm
height (h) = 6 ft height (h) = 7 cm
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area (A) =  area (A) = 
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Use the figure at the right.
17. Find the area of the largest triangle.
24 m

18. Find the area of the green triangle.

19. What is the area of one small triangle? 30 m

Use the information to solve the problem.

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20. What are the areas of the triangles and the rectangle
on Desirees sketch?

372 Chapter 7 Geometry Area

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 21. CHALLENGE The area of a triangle is 16 square feet, and its
height is 4 feet. What is the length of the base?
22. WHICH ONE DOESNT BELONG? Which figure does not belong
with the other two? Explain your reasoning.
A. B. C.
3 ft
3 ft
10 ft
6 ft

4 ft

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2 ft
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23. Write about a real-world problem that
could be solved by finding the area of a triangle.
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Practice

24. Find the area of the triangle. 25. Which formula will give you the
area of a triangle?
3 units
F. A = b h
G. A = _
18 units bh
2
A. 27 units2 C. 40 units2
H. A = (b h) 2
B. 36 units2 D. 54 units2
C07-097A-112057 I. A = (b b) 2

Find the area of each parallelogram. (Lesson 7-3B)

26. 27. 28.

10 m
9 ft
16 m

5 ft
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29. Tanya has $0.77 cents in her pocket. She has the same amount of
quarters and dimes. If she has 1 nickel and 2 pennies, how many
quarters C07-099A-112057
and dimes does Tanya have in her pocket? (Lesson 7-2D)
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Lesson 7-4 Area of Triangles and Trapezoids 373

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