The discussion revolves around finding the area of a triangle given its base and height, with references to a specific image for context. Participants explore the implications of the area formula and the relationship between the triangle's vertices.
The discussion has progressed with participants clarifying the area formula and its implications. Some have offered insights into the movement of point C and its relationship to the fixed base AB, suggesting that for the area to remain constant, the height must also remain constant.
There is a note regarding the preference for written problem statements rather than images, indicating a potential barrier to understanding the problem context fully.
(1/2)b*hAstronuc said:What is the formula for the area of a triangle, if one is given base and height?
Has one done the cross product of two vectors?
Astronuc said:Nevermind the cross-product. I was thinking that you had to find the area of the triangle. In future, please write out the problem statement in the post, rather than leaving it as a image.
Anyway, so we have A = 1/2 bh, as the area. Now if we take the line segment AB as the base, b, which is fixed, then what does h represent with respect to point C? And if the area, A, and base, b, remain constant, what does that imply about point C with respect to line segment AB?
Alright, I get it now. Thank you both for the help.HallsofIvy said:Take AB as the base. As C moves, A and B stay fixed so b stays constant. In order that the area be constant, h must also be constant. That means C must move along a line parallel to AB.