Question

What is the length of the 2nd base of a trapezoid if the length of one base is 27 and the length of the midsegment is 19? Show your work

Answer 1

The answer for that will be:

length of second base = 11 units

Here's how it was generated:

You have to assume first that the second base is x

This is how the mid-segment in a trapezoid is calculated:

mid-segment = (first base + second base) / 2

Let:

mid-segment = 19
first base =27
second base = x

Substitute and solve for x:

mid-segment = (first base + second base) / 2

19 = (27 + x) / 2
19 * 2 = 27 + x
38 =27 + x

Transpose the variable to the right and the constants to the left. Take note of changing signs:

x = 38 - 27

x = 11 units