Question

James wants to tile his floor using tiles in shape of trapezoids. To make the pattern a little more interesting he has decided to cut the tiles in half along the median. The top base of each tile is 15 inches in length and the bottom base is 21 inches. How long of a cut will john need to make so what he cuts the tiles along the median?

A. 3 inches
B. 18 inches
C. 36 inches
D. 6 inches

Answer 1

B. 18 inches

Explanation:

The median of a trapezoid is the line joining the midpoints of its sides. It is parallel to the bases, and halfway between them.

Length of the median

The length of the median of a trapezoid is the average of the lengths of the bases. That is, it is half their sum.

median length = (b1 +b2)/2

median length = (15 in +21 in)/2 = (36 in)/2

median length = 18 in

John needs to make a cut that is 18 inches long when he cuts along the median.