Step by step
The question
Question: find the height h of a triangle with area 24 square units and base 8.
1 Write the rule
A triangle is half of the box around it.
So its area is half of base times height: A = ½ × b × h.
Now put the numbers in: A = 24 and b = 8.
Careful!
Do not forget the half.
The triangle is only half of the box.
2 Half of the base
Half of 8 is 4.
So 4 × h = 24.
3 Remove the × 4
We want h by itself.
The times 4 is in the way.
To remove times 4, we divide by 4.
We do it on both sides.
Why both sides?
The = sign means both sides are the same amount.
If we change only one side, they are not the same any more.
4 divided by 4 is 1.
So just h is left.
24 divided by 4 is 6.
So the height is 6.
4 Check
Let's check: half of base times height.
We get 24, the area.
So the height is right!
Let's look back.
First: write the rule.
Then: half of the base.
Then: remove the × 4.
Last: check.