Calculate Trapezoid Area: Finding Space Between 18 and 25 Unit Bases

To find the area of trapezoid ABCD, we first note the lengths of the two parallel sides (bases) and the height from the given diagram:

• The length of the top base, AB, is $18$ cm.
• The length of the bottom base, DC, is $25$ cm.
• The height, which is the perpendicular distance between the two bases, is $11$ cm.

Now we apply the formula for the area of a trapezoid:

The formula is:

$A = \frac{1}{2} \times (\text{Base}_1 + \text{Base}_2) \times \text{Height}$

Substitute the known values into the formula:

$A = \frac{1}{2} \times (18 + 25) \times 11$

Calculate the sum of the bases:

$18 + 25 = 43$

Substitute back into the formula:

$A = \frac{1}{2} \times 43 \times 11$

Calculate the area:

$A = \frac{1}{2} \times 473$

$A = 236.5 \text{ cm}^2$

Therefore, the area of the trapezoid ABCD is $\mathbf{236.5 \text{ cm}^2}$.