The formula for the area of a triangle is: Area = (base × height) ÷ 2 or A = ½ × b × h For your homework: - Base (b) = 8 cm - Height (h) = 5 cm A = ½ × 8 × 5 = ½ × 40 = 20 cm² Why divide by 2? A triangle is exactly half of a rectangle! If you take any triangle and double it, you get a rectangle. That's why the formula is half of (base × height). Important: The height must be the perpendicular height — the straight vertical distance from the base to the top, not the slanted side.