Area of a Trapezium
A trapezium is a quadrilateral that has only one pair of parallel sides.Consider the area of the following trapezium.To calculate the area of a trapezium, divide it into a rectangle and two triangles as shown below.Now, piece together the triangular ends so that the trapezium is divided into a triangle and rectangle. The base of the triangle is the difference between the lengths of two parallel sides. That is, a – b.
Example 4Find the area of the following trapezium.Solution:So, the area of the trapezium is 204 m2.
Example 5Find the area of the following trapezium.Solution:So, the area of the trapezium is 39 cm2.
Remember:A trapezium is a quadrilateral that has only one pair of parallel sides.The area of the trapezium is given by the following formula where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides and his the perpendicular distance between the parallel sides.