The trapezoid ABCD is shown below.
AB = 2.5 cm
DC = 4 cm
Height (h) = 6 cm
Calculate the area of the trapezoid.
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The trapezoid ABCD is shown below.
AB = 2.5 cm
DC = 4 cm
Height (h) = 6 cm
Calculate the area of the trapezoid.
First, let's remind ourselves of the formula for the area of a trapezoid:
We substitute the given values into the formula:
(2.5+4)*6 =
6.5*6=
39/2 =
19.5
Given the following trapezoid:
Calculate the area of the trapezoid ABCD.
The trapezoid area formula is based on the average of the parallel sides times the height. The slanted sides don't affect the area - only the parallel bases and the perpendicular distance between them matter!
Look for sides that are horizontal or run in the same direction. In this problem, AB (top) = 2.5 cm and DC (bottom) = 4 cm are both horizontal, so they're parallel.
Yes! 19.5 cm² and 19½ cm² are exactly the same value. Choose whichever form the question asks for or feels more natural to you.
You'd get 39 cm² instead of 19.5 cm² - exactly double the correct answer! The ÷2 step is crucial because the formula finds the average of the parallel sides first.
Not at all! Since we're adding the parallel sides together, (2.5 + 4) gives the same result as (4 + 2.5). The order doesn't change the final area.
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