Question

Andrew wants to make a decorative placemat in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid with a height of 24 inches and bases of 36 inches and 30 inches. What is the area of the placemat?

Answer 1

The area of a trapezoid can be found by the formula:

A = [(B + b) × h] / 2

where:
B = major base = 36 in
b = minor base = 30 in
h = height = 24 in

Therefore, with the given data you can calculate the area by applying the formula:
A = [(36 + 30) × 24] / 2
= [66 × 24] / 2
= 792 in²

Hence, the area of the trapezoid is 792 in².