How do you work out the the area of a trapezium?

Answer 1

1/2 = (a+b) H

This means:

Half x (a+b) x height

If you don't like working out the area of a trapezium , split the shape up into a triangle and a rectangle and work each bit out separately. Area = 1/2*(sum of parallel sides)*height

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A better definition is

1/2*sum of parallel sides*perpendicular distance between them.

Answer 2

A more useful formula is

1/2*sum of parallel sides*perpendicular distance between them.

The reason that this is "better" will become when you learn the trapezium rule for approximating the area under a curve. The approximation is based on a whole lot of tall thin trapezia which are lined up vertically on the x-axis - like in a bar chart with no gaps between bars. So the parallel sides (a and b) are vertical, and the "height" is actually the width of the trapezium - and is measured in the horizontal direction.

Answer 3

divide the trapesium into a rectangle and two triangles if you can find the area of triangles