Calculating the Area of a Trapezoid: Step-by-Step Guide and Example

Area of a Trapezoid

To find the area of a trapezoid, you will need to know the lengths of its bases (the parallel sides) and its height (the perpendicular distance between the bases)

To find the area of a trapezoid, you will need to know the lengths of its bases (the parallel sides) and its height (the perpendicular distance between the bases).

Let’s denote the lengths of the bases as “a” and “b”, and the height as “h”.

The formula to calculate the area of a trapezoid is:

Area = ((a + b) / 2) * h

Here’s a step-by-step example to illustrate how to calculate the area of a trapezoid:

Example:
Let’s say we have a trapezoid with base lengths of 6 meters and 10 meters, and a height of 4 meters.

1. Plug the given values into the formula:
Area = ((6 + 10) / 2) * 4

2. Simplify inside the parentheses:
Area = (16 / 2) * 4

3. Perform the division:
Area = 8 * 4

4. Multiply to find the area:
Area = 32 square meters

Therefore, the area of the trapezoid is 32 square meters.

A few things to note:

– The formula works as long as you have the lengths of both bases and the height.
– The height must be perpendicular to the bases. If it is not given, you may need to use other given information, such as the length of one of the non-parallel sides or a diagonal, to calculate the height using geometric relationships.
– Make sure to use consistent units when working with measurements to avoid errors.

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