Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A triangle has vertices , and , with coordinates in cm. Find the length of the side joining the first two vertices, the distance of the third vertex from the line through them, and the area of the triangle.
The distance of from is . Parallel lines and are apart. The sign of tells the side of the line: the same sign means the same side. The foot of the perpendicular is .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The base. cm.
Step 2. The line through the first two. Slope , so , which is .
Step 3. The height. The distance of is cm.
Step 4. The area. square cm.
Answer: base cm, height cm, area square cm.
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