Calculate Trapezoid Area: Finding the Space of ABCD with Height 5

Trapezoid Area with Parallel Base Lengths

Given the following trapezoid:

AAABBBCCCDDD795

Calculate the area of the trapezoid ABCD.

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Calculate the area of the trapezoid
00:03 We'll use the formula for calculating trapezoid area
00:08 ((Sum of bases(AB+DC) multiplied by height(H)) divided by 2
00:14 We'll substitute appropriate values and solve to find the area
00:33 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

Given the following trapezoid:

AAABBBCCCDDD795

Calculate the area of the trapezoid ABCD.

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the lengths of the trapezoid's bases: AB=7 AB = 7 and CD=9 CD = 9 .
  • Step 2: Identify the height of the trapezoid: AD=5 AD = 5 .
  • Step 3: Apply the trapezoid area formula: A=12×(b1+b2)×h A = \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h .
  • Step 4: Calculate the area using the values from Steps 1 and 2.

Now, let us work through each step:
Step 1: The length of base AB AB is (b1=7)(b_1 = 7) units, and the length of base CD CD is (b2=9)(b_2 = 9) units.
Step 2: The height AD AD is (h=5)(h = 5) units.

Step 3: Substitute the known values into the formula for the area of a trapezoid:
A=12×(7+9)×5 A = \frac{1}{2} \times (7 + 9) \times 5

Step 4: Calculate the results:
A=12×16×5=12×80=40 A = \frac{1}{2} \times 16 \times 5 = \frac{1}{2} \times 80 = 40

Therefore, the area of trapezoid ABCD is 40\mathbf{40} square units.

3

Final Answer

40

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Area equals one-half times sum of bases times height
  • Technique: Add parallel sides first: 7 + 9 = 16, then multiply
  • Check: Verify bases are parallel and height is perpendicular distance ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Using side lengths instead of parallel bases
    Don't use the slanted sides AD or BC as bases = wrong area calculation! These are legs, not bases. Always identify the two parallel sides (AB = 7 and CD = 9) as your bases in the formula.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Given the following trapezoid:

AAABBBCCCDDD584

Calculate the area of the trapezoid ABCD.

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

How do I know which sides are the bases in a trapezoid?

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The bases are the two parallel sides. In this problem, AB (top) and CD (bottom) are parallel, so they're your bases with lengths 7 and 9.

What's the difference between height and side length?

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Height is the perpendicular distance between the parallel bases (shown as the vertical line). Side lengths like AD and BC are the slanted sides, not the height.

Can I use any trapezoid formula or just this one?

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The standard formula A=12×(b1+b2)×h A = \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h works for all trapezoids. Just make sure to identify the parallel sides correctly!

What if the trapezoid looks different or is rotated?

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The formula stays the same! Just identify which two sides are parallel (those are your bases) and find the perpendicular distance between them (that's your height).

Why do we multiply by 1/2 in the trapezoid formula?

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Think of a trapezoid as the average of the two bases times the height. The 12 \frac{1}{2} gives us that average: b1+b22×h \frac{b_1 + b_2}{2} \times h .

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