Question

Find the Area of the trapezoid use the correct unit

Answer 1

The Area of a Trapezoid

A trapezoid is a quadrilateral whit one pair of parallel sides called the bases, and two non-parallel sides called the legs.

Let's call b1 and b2 the length of the bases and h the height, measured as a perpendicular segment to both bases. The area of the trapezoid is:

`A=(b_1+b_2)/(2)\cdot h`

In the figure, all of the measures are given (one of them is not necessary):

b1 = 5 in, b2 = 17 in, h = 5 in.

In this particular trapezoid, the length of one of the legs happens to coincide with the height. Applying the formula:

`\begin{gathered} A=(5in+17in)/(2)\cdot5in \\ \text{Calculate:} \\ A=(22in)/(2)\cdot5in \\ A=11\cdot5in^2 \\ A=55in^2 \end{gathered}`

The area is 55 square inches.