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If the area of a triangle with vertices (5, 2), (x, 4), and (0, -3) is 12 ½, find x.
Solution:
To illustrate the problem, it is better to draw the figure as follows
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| Photo by Math Principles in Everyday Life |
The area of a triangle is given by the formula
Substitute the values of the coordinates of the vertices as well as the area, we have
Therefore, x = 2 in which the other vertex of a triangle is (2, 4).