Question

What is the area of the following right triangle?

Answer 1

Let
`x` be the unknown side of the triangle. Find the length of this side from the Pythagorean Theorem;

• 
  `x^2+5^2=13^2`
• 
  `x^2=13^2-5^2`
• 
  `x^2=144`
• 
  `x=12`

Another root of the equation is also negative, but we've eliminated it because length can't be a negative value.

To find the area of a triangle, we multiply the height of the triangle by the base length and take half.

• 
  `Area=(12.5)/2=30`