How to find the area of a trapezoid and its defining properties: A comprehensive guide

Trapezoid

A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel sides, called bases, that are of different lengths

A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel sides, called bases, that are of different lengths. The other two sides, called legs, can have different lengths as well. To find the area of a trapezoid, you can use the formula:

Area = (base1 + base2) * height / 2

Here, base1 and base2 are the lengths of the two parallel sides, and height is the distance between them. The formula works by finding the average of the lengths of the bases and then multiplying it by the height.

For example, let’s say we have a trapezoid with base1 measuring 5 units, base2 measuring 9 units, and a height of 4 units. Using the formula, the area would be:

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

So, the area of this trapezoid would be 28 square units.

Another property of a trapezoid is that the sum of the lengths of any two sides is always greater than the length of the remaining side. This can be used as a shortcut to check if a quadrilateral is a trapezoid or not. If this property is not satisfied, then the figure cannot be a trapezoid.

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