Question:medium

An isosceles triangle has perimeter 30 cm and each of the equal sides is 12 cm. Find the area of the triangle.

Updated On: Jan 20, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

We are given an isosceles triangle with the following details:

  • Perimeter = 30 cm
  • Each of the equal sides = 12 cm

We need to find the area of the triangle.

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Find the Base of the Triangle:

In an isosceles triangle, the perimeter is the sum of the lengths of all three sides. Let the base of the triangle be \( b \) cm. The perimeter is given by: \[ \text{Perimeter} = 2 \times \text{Equal sides} + \text{Base} \] Substituting the values: \[ 30 = 2 \times 12 + b \] Simplifying: \[ 30 = 24 + b \] Solving for \( b \): \[ b = 30 - 24 = 6 \, \text{cm} \] So, the base of the triangle is \( b = 6 \, \text{cm} \).

2. Use Heron's Formula to Find the Area:

To find the area of the triangle, we use Heron's formula: \[ A = \sqrt{s(s - a)(s - b)(s - c)} \] where: - \( a \) and \( c \) are the equal sides, \( a = c = 12 \, \text{cm} \), - \( b \) is the base, \( b = 6 \, \text{cm} \), - \( s \) is the semi-perimeter, given by: \[ s = \frac{\text{Perimeter}}{2} = \frac{30}{2} = 15 \, \text{cm} \] Substituting into Heron's formula: \[ A = \sqrt{15(15 - 12)(15 - 6)(15 - 12)} \] Simplifying: \[ A = \sqrt{15 \times 3 \times 9 \times 3} \] \[ A = \sqrt{15 \times 81} = \sqrt{1215} \] \[ A = 34.86 \, \text{cm}^2 \]

Final Answer:

The area of the isosceles triangle is \( \boxed{34.86 \, \text{cm}^2} \).

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