How to Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid | Formula and Example Calculation

Trapezoid

A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel sides and two non-parallel sides

A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel sides and two non-parallel sides. The parallel sides are known as the bases of the trapezoid, while the non-parallel sides are referred to as the legs of the trapezoid. The legs of a trapezoid are usually of different lengths.

To calculate the area of a trapezoid, you need to know the lengths of the bases and the height of the trapezoid. The formula for the area of a trapezoid is:

Area = (base1 + base2) * height / 2

Here, base1 and base2 refer to the lengths of the parallel sides, and the height is the perpendicular distance between the bases. Adding the lengths of the bases and multiplying the sum by the height, then dividing by 2, gives you the area of the trapezoid.

For example, let’s say you have a trapezoid with base 1 measuring 5 units, base 2 measuring 9 units, and a height of 4 units. The area of this trapezoid would be:

Area = (5 + 9) * 4 / 2
= 14 * 4 / 2
= 56 / 2
= 28 square units

Therefore, the area of this trapezoid is 28 square units.

It’s important to note that there are other properties and formulas related to trapezoids, such as the length of the diagonals and the sum of interior angles. However, the most commonly used formula for trapezoids is the one for calculating the area.

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