What is the area of a triangle with base 8 and height 5?

To find the area of a triangle, you can use the formula:

[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} ]

In this case, the base is 8 and the height is 5. Plugging these values into the formula gives:

[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times 8 \times 5 ]

Calculating this step-by-step:

1. Multiply the base and height:

( 8 \times 5 = 40 ).

2. Then take half of this product to find the area:

( \frac{1}{2} \times 40 = 20 ).

Thus, the area of the triangle is 20 square units. This calculation confirms that 20 is the correct answer, as it directly follows the geometric principles governing the area of triangles.