Area of a triangle
A LEVEL LINKS
Scheme of work: 4a. Trigonometric ratios and graphs
Textbook: Pure Year 1, 9.3 Areas of triangles
Key points
• a is the side opposite angle A.
b is the side opposite angle B.
c is the side opposite angle C.
1
• The area of the triangle is ab sin C .
2
Examples
Example 1 Find the area of the triangle.
1 Always start by labelling the sides
and angles of the triangle.
Area = 1 ab sin C 2 State the formula for the area of a
2 triangle.
1
Area = ´ 8 ´ 5 ´ sin 82° 3 Substitute the values of a, b and C
2 into the formula for the area of a
triangle.
Area = 19.805 361... 4 Use a calculator to find the area.
Area = 19.8 cm2 5 Round your answer to 3 significant
figures and write the units in your
answer.
A2400 ch9g | Version 1.1 | September 2020
Practice questions
1 Work out the area of each triangle.
Give your answers correct to 3 significant figures.
a b
2 The area of triangle XYZ is 13.3 cm2.
Work out the length of XZ.
Hint:
Rearrange the formula to make a side the subject.
3 The area of triangle ABC is 86.7 cm2.
Work out the length of BC.
Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.
A2400 ch9g | Version 1.1 | September 2020
4 In triangle ABC, AC = 7 cm, BC = 10 cm and angle BAC = 65°
(a) Find, to the nearest 0.1°, the size of angle ABC.
(b) Find, in cm2 to 3 significant figures, the area of triangle ABC.
Figure 1
Figure 1 shows a shape ABC in which AOB is a triangle, AOC is a straight line and OBC is a sector of
a circle with centre O.
AO = 10 cm, OC = OB = 6 cm and the length of arc BC = π cm.
Find, to 3 significant figures,
(a) the length of AB,
(b) the area of the shape ABC.
A2400 ch9g | Version 1.1 | September 2020
Answers
1 a 18.1 cm2 b 18.7 cm2 c 693 mm2
2 5.10 cm
3 15.3 cm
4 a B = 39.37…= 39.4°
5 a 15.4894… = 15.5 cm
A2400 ch9g | Version 1.1 | September 2020
