The usual form for the area of a trapezoid is (average of the parallel sides) x height.
If only the lengths of the sides are given, then calculation of the area requires trigonometry and multiple solutions are possible.
Often, teachers will give a problem like this showing the two unequal parallel sides and two unequal, non-parallel sides with a diagram showing that one of the sides is perpendicular to the parallel sides. That side length would be the height.
A trapezium has two parallel sides (of unequal length) and two non-parallel sides.
A trapezium has only one pair of parallel sides
has two parallel sideshas four straight linesThe area of the trapezium is given by the following formula where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides and h is the perpendicular distance between the parallel sides.
If the two parallel side of the trapezium are a and b and height of the trapezium (the distance between the parallel sides) is h then the area is given by:Area = 1/2 (a + b) x hHalf the sum of the lengths of the parallel sides times the distance between them.
It can do. The non-parallel sides of an isosceles trapezium will be equal. Also, one of the non-parallel sides could be equal to one of the parallel sides.
How many parallel sides has a trapezium?
A trapezium has two parallel sides (of unequal length) and two non-parallel sides.
It is an isosceles trapezium
A trapezium has only one pair of parallel sides
has two parallel sideshas four straight linesThe area of the trapezium is given by the following formula where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides and h is the perpendicular distance between the parallel sides.
A trapezium has a pair of parallel sides of different lengths so in order to find its 2nd parallel side the information given must include its height.
Which side lengths? To calculate the parallel sides, you need the height of the trapezium and one of the sides, and you substitute them into the formula: h(a + b)/2, where h = height, a and b are the parallel side lengths. If you want to find the sides that are not parallel, you need the parallel sides, as well as the height of the trapezium. Then, by using Pythagoras theorem, with the side length the hypotenuse, you can find their lengths.
If the two parallel side of the trapezium are a and b and height of the trapezium (the distance between the parallel sides) is h then the area is given by:Area = 1/2 (a + b) x hHalf the sum of the lengths of the parallel sides times the distance between them.
No. A parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides. The trapezium has only one pair of parallel sides. (This applies the definition of a trapezium as a 4-sided figure with exactlytwo parallel sides.)
It can do. The non-parallel sides of an isosceles trapezium will be equal. Also, one of the non-parallel sides could be equal to one of the parallel sides.
A trapezium has 1 pair of opposite parallel sides of different lengths
Trapezium.