Given a triangle ABC. What is the area? 1. the triangle has

Question

Given a triangle ABC. What is the area?


1. the triangle has the following sides 5,12,13

2. the triangle has the following sides 5,6,7

drdas · Answer

Use the semi-perimeter to calculate the area of the triangle:

s = semiperimeter = (a+b+c)/2

Area = SQRT

venksune · Answer

1. Represents a Pythagorean triplet and the area would be 1/2*12*5 = 30

2. semiperimeter S = 18/2 = 9.
Area = sqrt  = sqrt  = 14.70.

Dookie · Answer

I never heard of this formula. 
Can you really calculate the area of any triangle without knowing it's base and height ?

Are we expected to know this formula ?

Paul · Answer

Interesting formula indeed. Thanks all, I put this in my favorites and I believe having read this somewhere in this club a long time ago but did not pay much attention to it. This seems like a realistic DS question to me.

Below is a link to that formula
https://www.murderousmaths.co.uk/books/BKMM5xar.htm

venksune · Answer

Oh! this is a popular formula in India atleast. Couple of other ones while on the subject...

1.  For a equilateral triangle :
area =  sqrt(3)/4] * (side)^2 . And the altitude or height h = sqrt(3)/2 * (side)

2.  For an isoceles triangle ,
Area =  (c/4)*sqrt .  'a'=length of one of the two sides that are equal and 'c' is the length of the third side.

In a isoceles triangle, hypotenuse = sqrt(2)*(length of the equal side).

Dan · Answer

I would guess that the Hero's Formula, Area = SQRT  , named after the Hero of Alexandria, though interesting, is outside the scope of GMAT as far as PS questions are concerned! But yes it could be wrapped up in a DS question - testing knowledge of it rather than how to apply it.

amernassar · Answer

It is never meant to use Hero's formula

The logic is that 3 sides are enough for the area. we have one and only one triangle having this figure

we can find area if we know either one of the following:
3 sides
2 sides included angle
2 angles and a side
or base and height

In a DS question,we aught to see if we can find it or not,not to solve it.

For those who know Hero of Alexandria, it is a plus.

nzgmat · Answer

That's a good forumula, I haven't used it but I figured that if we knew all the sides of a triangle, there's only one possible area for this triangle and there must be a genius out there have a forumla for this...

So the answer is D

Given a triangle ABC. What is the area? 1. the triangle has

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