Heron's Formula ||Maths|| Chapter 10 NCERT Notes
1. Area of a Triangle (Recap)
For a triangle with base and height , the area is given by:
However, when the height is not known but the lengths of all three sides are given, Heron’s formula can be used to find the area.
2. Heron’s Formula
Heron’s formula allows us to calculate the area of a triangle when all three sides are known.
For a triangle with sides , , and , the area is given by:
Where:
- , , and are the lengths of the sides of the triangle.
- is the semi-perimeter of the triangle, which is half the perimeter of the triangle.
The semi-perimeter is calculated as:
3. Steps to Apply Heron’s Formula
To find the area of a triangle using Heron’s formula:
Step 1: Find the semi-perimeter of the triangle:
Step 2: Use Heron’s formula to find the area:
4. Examples
Example 1: Area of a Triangle
Find the area of a triangle with sides 7 cm, 8 cm, and 9 cm.
Step 1: Find the semi-perimeter:
Step 2: Apply Heron’s formula:
Example 2: Area of a Right-Angled Triangle
In a right-angled triangle with sides 5 cm, 12 cm, and 13 cm, find the area using Heron’s formula.
Step 1: Find the semi-perimeter:
Step 2: Apply Heron’s formula:
The area calculated using Heron’s formula (30 cm²) is the same as using the standard formula for a right-angled triangle, .
5. Application to Quadrilaterals
Heron’s formula can also be used to find the area of a quadrilateral by dividing it into two triangles. For example, a quadrilateral with diagonals dividing it into two triangles can have its area calculated by finding the area of each triangle separately using Heron’s formula.
Example:
If a quadrilateral is divided into two triangles, each with known side lengths, apply Heron’s formula to each triangle and sum the areas to get the total area of the quadrilateral.