The base of any geometric figure is (for
polygons) any side that you wish to measure from or (for
polyhedra) any face that you wish to measure (or measure from). Bases are most commonly used in geometric formulae for
area and
volume. It is most commonly represented by the variable
Examples
The formula for the area of a
triangle:
where
is the length of the side from which you measure your perpendicular height (
).
The formula for the volume of a
cone:
where
is the area of the circular face of the cone.
See also
★
Area
★
Volume