with

crosof t Excel
Mi
The following pages contain
a sample chapter section
from the book.
Page 48 – Shapes Excelling with Microsoft Excel

Exploring Triangles

NCTM Standards

Select and apply appropriate standard units and tools to measure length, area, volume, weight,
time, temperature, and the size of angles.

Understand, select, and use units of appropriate size and type to measure angles, perimeter,
area, surface area, and volume.

Grade Levels

K–2
 3–5
 6–8

Vocabulary

Area
Square units
Triangle

File

03Shapes.xls (Area of a Triangle tab)

Excelling with Microsoft Excel Shapes – Page 49

Exploring Triangles – Student Instructions

1. Calculate the area of a rectangle using a formula.
a. Open a new blank spreadsheet workbook.
b. In cell A1, type the word Base.
c. In cell A2, type the word Height.
d. In cell A3, type the word Area.
e. Type a number for the base into cell B1.
f. Type a number for the height into cell B2.
g. Click in cell B3. Formula Bar
h. Type the following formula and press Enter or
Return.
Formula: =B1*B2/2
Result: Multiplies (*) the base (B1)
times the height (B2) and
divides it by 2 (/2).
NOTE: The formula will also appear in
the formula bar.
i. The area will be displayed in cell B3, the cell containing the formula.
j. Type new numbers for the base and height.

2. Prove the formula works using a rectangle.

a. Click and drag on the gray cells with letters to select
columns D through K. Click here and drag to
b. Click and drag on the line between columns D and E here to select
to resize the cells so they look like squares.
c. Create a rectangle that has the same length and width as
the base and height of the triangle you found the area for.
1. Click and drag to select cells that match the base
and height you typed into cells B1 and B2.
2. Click the Fill Color bucket.
3. Click a color to fill the cells you selected with that color. Click and drag
4. Click the Border button, and select the All Borders choice. here to resize
Page 50 – Shapes Excelling with Microsoft Excel

Exploring Triangles continued (Excel 2003/04)

d. Create a right triangle with matching measurements.

1. On the Draw toolbar, click AutoShapes.
2. Point to Basic Shapes.
3. Click the Right Triangle shape.
4. Click and drag to draw a triangle on your
spreadsheet.
5. Click on the triangle and drag it so it is over
the colored rectangle.
6. Click the Fill Color bucket and select No Fill.
7. Resize the triangle until it has the same base and height as the rectangle.

3. Prove the formula works using a parallelogram.

a. Using the gridlines on the spreadsheet to guide you, draw a parallelogram with
the same base and height as the triangle.
1. On the Draw toolbar, click AutoShapes.
2. Point to Basic Shapes.
3. Click the Parallelogram shape.
4. Click and drag to draw a parallelogram on
your spreadsheet.
5. Click the Fill Color bucket and select No Fill.
6. Resize the parallelogram until it has the same
base and height as the triangle.
b. Click on the line tool (Drawing toolbar, Line tool).
c. Click and drag to draw a line connecting opposite vertices (corners) of the parallelogram.

4. Ask yourself:
a. What parts of the parallelogram, rectangle, and triangle are the same?
b. What parts are different?
c. How does the triangle compare to the rectangle?
d. How does the triangle compare to the parallelogram?
e. Why do you have to divide by 2 to find the area of a triangle?