How to Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid
Calculating the area of a trapezoid is straightforward when you know the formula. A trapezoid is a four-sided figure (quadrilateral) with at least one pair of parallel sides. To find the area, you can use the following formula:
Area = (a + b) / 2 * hWhere:
- a = length of one parallel side
- b = length of the other parallel side
- h = height (the perpendicular distance between the two parallel sides)
To illustrate, if you have a trapezoid where the lengths of the parallel sides are 5 units and 7 units, and the height is 4 units, you can substitute these values into the formula:
Area = (5 + 7) / 2 * 4Calculating this gives:
Area = 12 / 2 * 4 = 6 * 4 = 24 square units.Thus, the area of the trapezoid is 24 square units. This method can be applied to any trapezoid as long as you have the lengths of the parallel sides and the height. Understanding this formula can help you solve various geometry problems involving trapezoids.
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