Let A and C be opposite vertices of a parallelogram ABCD. If the diagonal BD , then the area of the parallelogram is equal to:
- A
- B
- C
- D
Let A and C be opposite vertices of a parallelogram ABCD. If the diagonal BD , then the area of the parallelogram is equal to:
Correct answer:B
Standard Method
Given: Opposite vertices are A and C, and diagonal .
Find: Area of parallelogram ABCD.
First find the other diagonal:
For a parallelogram, area is half the magnitude of the cross product of its diagonals:
Now compute the cross product:
Its magnitude is:
Therefore,
So, the correct option is B.
Direct Diagonal Formula
Given: The diagonals are and .
Find: Area of the parallelogram.
Use the direct relation:
Since and , evaluating the cross product gives magnitude .
Hence the area is , so the correct option is B.
Using directly as the area is wrong because diagonals of a parallelogram give twice the needed area in the cross-product relation. Use instead.
Computing incorrectly by reversing the order of points changes the sign of the vector. Although magnitude is unaffected in the final cross product, inconsistent signs can lead to algebra errors. Form it carefully as .
Making mistakes in the determinant expansion for the cross product, especially the middle term sign, gives a wrong magnitude. Remember the term carries a negative sign in cofactor expansion.
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