What is the formula for calculating the area of a right triangle?

The formula for calculating the area of a right triangle is based on its unique characteristics. A right triangle has one angle that measures 90 degrees, allowing for the use of the two sides that form this right angle, referred to as the base and the height.

To find the area, you multiply the lengths of these two sides together and then take half of that product. This is represented mathematically as ( A = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} ). The division by two accounts for the fact that the area of a triangle is always half of the area of a rectangle formed by the same base and height.

This formula is specific to triangles and illustrates how the area is derived from the dimensions integral to the shape of the triangle itself. The other options do not correctly describe the area of a right triangle or triangles in general. For example, the option that states area equals base times height does not acknowledge the triangular shape and would yield the area of a rectangle instead. Similarly, the option involving ( \text{side}^2 ) references the area of a square, while the length times width formula pertains to rectangles. Hence, the chosen formula effectively conveys the unique geometr