Final answer:
To solve for b2 in the area of a trapezoid formula A = 1/2h(b + b2), multiply both sides by 2, divide by h, and then subtract b from both sides to isolate b2.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve the formula A = 1/2h(b + b2) for b2 in the context of the area of a trapezoid, let's isolate b2 on one side of the equation as follows:
- Multiply both sides by 2 to get rid of the fraction: 2A = h(b + b2).
- Divide both sides by h to isolate the sum of the bases: 2A/h = b + b2.
- To solve for b2, subtract b from both sides: b2 = (2A/h) - b.
Now, b2 is isolated, and you can plug in the values for A (area of the trapezoid), h (height), and b (the length of one of the bases) to find the length of the other base, b2.