• About
  • Contact
  • Cookie
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Change the purpose of use

Tnhelearning.edu.vn - Various useful general information portal

  • Photo
  • Bio
  • How To
  • Tech

How to Calculate Area of a Trapezoid

November 23, 2023 by admin Category: How To

You are viewing the article How to Calculate Area of a Trapezoid  at Tnhelearning.edu.vn you can quickly access the necessary information in the table of contents of the article below.

The concept of calculating the area of a trapezoid is an essential skill in the field of geometry. A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides, which can make determining its area somewhat complex. However, by utilizing specific formulas and understanding the properties of this shape, one can easily find the area of a trapezoid. In this guide, we will explore the necessary steps to calculate the area of a trapezoid, providing clear explanations and examples along the way. With a basic understanding of geometry and a few simple calculations, you’ll be able to confidently determine the area of any trapezoid you encounter.

X

This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.

The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.

There are 7 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 3,824 times.

A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel base sides of different lengths. The formula for calculating the area of a trapezoid is S = ½(b 1 +b 2 )h, where b 1 and b 2 are the lengths of the two bases, and h is the height. If you know the length of the side of an isosceles trapezoid, you can divide the trapezoid into simple shapes to find the height and calculate the area. Finally, you just need to enter the units to complete the problem.

Table of Contents

  • Steps
    • Calculate the area with the height and lengths of the two base sides
    • Find the area of a trapezoid if the side lengths are known
  • Advice

Steps

Calculate the area with the height and lengths of the two base sides

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 1

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 1

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/35/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-1-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px- Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-1-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/35/Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-1-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-1-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Calculate the sum of the lengths of the two bases. The base of a trapezoid is 2 parallel sides. If the problem does not give the lengths of the two bases, use a ruler to measure each value. Then add these 2 lengths together to calculate the total. [1] X Research Source

  • For example, if the top base has length (b 1 ) = 8 cm and the bottom bottom (b 2 ) = 13 cm, the sum of the lengths of the two bases is: “b = b 1 + b 2 ” = 8 cm + 13 cm = 21 cm.
READ More:   How to Relieve Pain from Ingrown Toenails
Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 2

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 2

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/56/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-2-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px- Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-2-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/56/Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-2-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-2-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Calculate the height of the trapezoid. The height of a trapezoid is the distance between two parallel bases. Draw a line from the top bottom to the bottom bottom so that it is perpendicular to the bottom 2 sides and then use a ruler or other measuring tool to determine the length. Record the height value for later use. [2] X Research Source

  • The lengths of the two sides are not the height of the trapezoid. The side and the height have the same length only if that side is perpendicular to the base, which is the case with a square trapezoid.
Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 3

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 3

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/5/57/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-3-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px- Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-3-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/57/Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-3-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-3-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Multiply the sum of the lengths of the two bases by the height. Multiply the sum of the two bases (b) you calculated by the height (h). Don’t forget to add the squared symbol to the length unit of this result. [3] X Research Sources

  • In the above example, we have “(b)h” = 21 cm x 7 cm = 147 cm 2 .
Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 4

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 4

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/64/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px- Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-4-Version-4.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/64/Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-4-Version-4.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-4-Version-4.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Multiply the product of the sum of the bases and the height by ½ (or divide by 2) to find the area of the trapezoid. To calculate the area of a trapezoid, you can multiply the product of the sum of the bases and the height by ½ (or divide by 2 for the same result). Add area units to the answer of the problem. [4] X Research Sources

  • In this example, we have the area of trapezoid S = 147 cm 2 / 2 = 73.5 cm 2 ,.

Find the area of a trapezoid if the side lengths are known

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 5

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 5

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/3b/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-5-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px- Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-5-Version-3.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/3b/Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-5-Version-3.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-5-Version-3.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460 ,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Divide the trapezoid into 1 rectangle and 2 right triangles. Draw lines from the corner of the upper bottom to the bottom at a 90 degree angle. Inside the trapezoid there will now be 1 rectangle in the middle and 2 right triangles with equal hypotenuse on either side. This will help you easily visualize the area, and calculate the height of the trapezoid. [5] X Research Sources

  • This method is applicable only to isosceles trapezoid.
READ More:   How to Take a Power Nap
Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 6

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 6

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/c/c3/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-6.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/c/c3/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid- Step-6.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-6.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Find the length of the base side of the triangle. Subtract the length of the top bottom of the trapezoid from the length of the bottom to calculate the remaining distance. Divide this distance by 2 to find the length of the base side of the triangle. You should now have the base and hypotenuse lengths of the right triangle. [6] X Research Source

  • For example, a trapezoid has top bottom (b 1 ) = 6 cm, bottom bottom (b 2 ) = 12 cm, let A be the base side of the triangle, we have A = (b 2 – b 1 )/2 = (12 cm – 6 cm)/2 = 3 cm.
Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 7

Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 7

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/61/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-7.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-7.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/61/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid- Step-7.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-7.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the height of the trapezoid. Substitute the lengths of the base and hypotenuse (the longest side in a right triangle) into the formula A 2 + B 2 = C 2 , where A is the base and C is the hypotenuse. After finding B by solving the equation, you get the height of the trapezoid. If the base length of the right triangle you found is 3 cm and the hypotenuse is 5 cm, then substituting in the formula the equation becomes: [7] X Research Source

  • (3 cm) 2 + B 2 = (5 cm) 2
  • Squared values: 9 cm +B 2 = 25 cm
  • Subtract from both sides of the equation 9: B 2 = 16 cm
  • Calculate the square root of both sides: B = 4 cm

Tip: If the equation doesn’t have a perfect square, reduce the square root to the bare minimum and leave the value in the radical sign. For example: √32 = √(16)(2) = 4√2.

  • Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 8

    Image titled Calculate the Area of a Trapezoid Step 8

    {“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/6/6c/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-8.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the- Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-8.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/6/6c/Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid- Step-8.jpg/v4-728px-Calculate-the-Area-of-a-Trapezoid-Step-8.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight” :546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}
    Substitute the lengths of the bases and the height into the formula for area and solve. After substituting the lengths of the bases and the heights into the formula, we have the area of the trapezoid S = ½(b 1 +b 2 )h. Finally, reduce the expression to a minimum and add area units to the answer. [8] X Research Sources

    • Rewrite the formula: S = (b 1 +b 2 )h
    • Substitute the values into the formula: S = (6 cm +12 cm)(4 cm)
    • Simplify the expression: S = (18 cm)(4 cm)
    • Multiply the terms together: S = 36 cm 2 .
  • Advice

    • If you know the length of the median (the line segment parallel to the bases and passing through the midpoint of the trapezoid), you can multiply by the height to calculate the area. [9] X Research Source
    READ More:   How to Reheat Grilled Chicken
    X

    This article is co-authored by a team of editors and trained researchers who confirm the accuracy and completeness of the article.

    The wikiHow Content Management team carefully monitors the work of editors to ensure that every article is up to a high standard of quality.

    There are 7 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.

    This article has been viewed 3,824 times.

    A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with two parallel base sides of different lengths. The formula for calculating the area of a trapezoid is S = ½(b 1 +b 2 )h, where b 1 and b 2 are the lengths of the two bases, and h is the height. If you know the length of the side of an isosceles trapezoid, you can divide the trapezoid into simple shapes to find the height and calculate the area. Finally, you just need to enter the units to complete the problem.

    In conclusion, calculating the area of a trapezoid is a relatively simple process that requires basic knowledge of the trapezoid’s height and the lengths of its bases. By understanding the formula A = (b1 + b2) * h / 2, where A represents the area, b1 and b2 are the lengths of the bases, and h is the height, one can easily find the area of a trapezoid. Additionally, it is important to remember to use consistent units of measurement throughout the calculation and to double-check the inputs to ensure accurate results. With these steps in mind, anyone can calculate the area of a trapezoid confidently and efficiently.

    Thank you for reading this post How to Calculate Area of a Trapezoid at Tnhelearning.edu.vn You can comment, see more related articles below and hope to help you with interesting information.

    Related Search:

    1. “Formula to calculate area of a trapezoid”
    2. “Step-by-step guide for finding the area of a trapezoid”
    3. “Example problems on calculating trapezoid area”
    4. “Important properties and measurements needed to find trapezoid area”
    5. “Different methods to calculate trapezoid area”
    6. “Area of a trapezoid: What’s the significance in real-life applications?”
    7. “Tips and tricks for calculating trapezoid area accurately”
    8. “Online tools for quickly calculating trapezoid area”
    9. “Common mistakes to avoid when calculating the area of a trapezoid”
    10. “Interesting facts about trapezoids and their area calculations”

    Related Posts

    How to Create Curved Text in Photoshop
    How to fall asleep faster
    How to Install FBReader to Read eBooks

    Category: How To

    Previous Post: « Top 999+ lord shiva quotes images – Amazing Collection lord shiva quotes images Full 4K
    Next Post: Top 999+ Jeffree Star Wallpaper Full HD, 4K✅Free to Use »

    Copyright © 2025 · Tnhelearning.edu.vn - Useful Knowledge