Calculate Trapezoid Side Length: Given Area 120 and Height 10

Trapezoid Area with Unknown Base

Given the trapeze in front of you:

AAABBBCCCDDD1112010

Given h=10, AB=11.

Since the area of the trapezoid ABCD is equal to 120.

Find the length of the side DC.

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Find DC
00:03 We'll use the formula for calculating trapezoid area
00:07 (Sum of bases(AB+DC) multiplied by height(H)) divided by 2
00:14 Let's substitute appropriate values and solve for DC
00:30 Divide 10 by 2
00:36 Isolate DC
00:53 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 trapeze in front of you:

AAABBBCCCDDD1112010

Given h=10, AB=11.

Since the area of the trapezoid ABCD is equal to 120.

Find the length of the side DC.

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we will follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Identify the given information from the problem statement.
  • Step 2: Use the formula for the area of a trapezoid.
  • Step 3: Plug in the values and solve for the unknown base DC DC .

Let's apply these steps:

Step 1: You're given:

  • The height h=10 h = 10 .
  • The base AB=11 AB = 11 .
  • The area of the trapezoid =120 = 120 .

Step 2: The formula for the area of a trapezoid is:

Area=12×(b1+b2)×h \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h

We know b1=AB=11 b_1 = AB = 11 , b2=DC b_2 = DC , h=10 h = 10 , and Area=120 \text{Area} = 120 .

Step 3: Substitute the known values into the formula and solve for DC DC :

120=12×(11+DC)×10 120 = \frac{1}{2} \times (11 + DC) \times 10

Simplify the equation:

120=5×(11+DC) 120 = 5 \times (11 + DC)

Divide both sides by 5 to solve for 11+DC 11 + DC :

24=11+DC 24 = 11 + DC

Subtract 11 from both sides:

DC=2411 DC = 24 - 11

Therefore, DC=13 DC = 13 .

Thus, the length of side DC DC is 13 13 .

3

Final Answer

13

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Formula: Area = 12×(b1+b2)×h \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h
  • Technique: Substitute known values: 120 = 12×(11+DC)×10 \frac{1}{2} \times (11 + DC) \times 10
  • Check: Verify: 12×(11+13)×10=120 \frac{1}{2} \times (11 + 13) \times 10 = 120

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Using wrong formula or mixing up bases
    Don't use triangle area formula (½ × base × height) or confuse which sides are the parallel bases! This gives completely wrong results like 60 instead of 120. Always identify the two parallel sides first, then use the trapezoid formula with both bases.

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 parallel bases?

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In a trapezoid, the parallel bases are the top and bottom sides that never meet. Look at the diagram - AB (top) and DC (bottom) are horizontal and parallel, while the slanted sides AD and BC connect them.

Why do we multiply by ½ in the trapezoid formula?

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Think of a trapezoid as the average of its two bases times the height. The ½ comes from finding that average: b1+b22×h \frac{b_1 + b_2}{2} \times h , which equals 12×(b1+b2)×h \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h .

What if I get a decimal answer instead of a whole number?

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That's totally fine! Some trapezoid problems have decimal solutions. Just make sure your arithmetic is correct and always check by substituting back into the area formula.

Can I solve this if the height wasn't given?

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You'd need additional information like the length of one of the slanted sides and an angle, or coordinates of the vertices. The height is essential for using the basic area formula.

How do I check my answer is correct?

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Substitute your answer back into the area formula: 12×(11+13)×10=12×24×10=120 \frac{1}{2} \times (11 + 13) \times 10 = \frac{1}{2} \times 24 \times 10 = 120 ✓. If you get the original area, you're right!

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