Heron's Formula for Triangle Area
Discover how the area of a triangle can be found from its three side lengths alone.
Task 1
Putting It All Together
Answer these open ended questions on your own or with others to form deeper math connections.
Task 2
What is the area of a triangle with sides of 10, 12 and 14 inches?
Task 3
The base of an isosceles triangle measures 11 cm, and one of the sides is 20 cm long. Calculate the area of the triangle.
Task 4
The base of an equilateral triangle measures 2 meters. Calculate its area using Heron’s formula. Do you know any other way to calculate this area?
Task 5
Edwin Abbott Abbott wrote in his book Flatland: “Our Soldiers and Lowest Classes of Workmen are Triangles with two equal sides, each about eleven inches long, and a base or third side so short (often not exceeding half an inch) that they form at their vertices a very sharp and formidable angle.” What is the maximum area of the body of a Soldier or low class Workman in Flatland?