Question

The base of a right triangle is 8 cm and its hypotenuse is 10 cm; the area of the triangle is ______.

Options

• 24 cm²

• 40 cm²

• 48 cm²

• 80 cm²

Answer 1

The base of a right triangle is 8 cm and its hypotenuse is 10 cm; the area of the triangle is 24 cm².

Explanation:

Using the Pythagorean theorem, the height (perpendicular) of the right triangle is \[\sqrt{10^2 - 8^2} = 6\text{ cm}\]. The area is calculated as \[\frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} = \frac{1}{2} \times 8 \times 6 = 24\text{ cm}^2\].