AREA OF TRAPEZOIDS

GOAL

• Find the area of trapezoids.

 KEY VOCABULARY

• Trapezoid
• Base of a trapezoid
• Height of a trapezoid
 TRAPEZOID

• A trapezoid is a quadrilateral
with exactly one pair of parallel
sides.
• Each of the parallel sides is
called a base.
• The nonparallel sides are called
legs.
• Height of the trapezoid is the
shortest distance (perpendicular
distance) between the bases.
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height
What
What is is the
the area
area of
of this
this trapezoid?
triangle?

b2=base 2
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

What is the area of

this trapezoid?

b2=base 2

COPY THIS!
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

What is the area of

this trapezoid?

b2=base 2

PASTE HERE!
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

What is the area of

this trapezoid?

b2=base 2

FLIP VERTICALLY!
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

What is the area of

this trapezoid?

b2=base 2

FLIP HORIZONTALLY!
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

What is the area of

this trapezoid?

b2=base 2

TRANSLATE TO HERE!
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

What is the area of

this trapezoid?

b2=base 2
b1=base 1

CHECK MEASUREMENTS!
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

Area of the trapezoid is h=height

½ the area of this
parallelogram?

b2=base 2
b1=base 1
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height
Areatrapezoid =
½ height(base 1 + base 2)

b2=base 2
b1=base 1
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID
b1=base 1

h=height

Areatrapezoid = ½ h(b1 + b2)

b2=base 2
b1=base 1
 AREA OF TRAPEZOID

• Words: Area = ½(height)(base1+base2)

• Symbols: A = 1/2h(b1+b2)
Example 1 Find the Area of a Trapezoid

Find the area of the trapezoid.

SOLUTION
1
A= h(b1 + b2) Formula for the area of a triangle
2
1
= 2 (5)(6 + 8) Substitute 5 for h, 6 for b1, and 8 for b2.

1
= 2 (5)(14) Simplify within parentheses.

= 35 Simplify.

The area of the trapezoid is 35 square

ANSWER
inches.
 Your Turn:

Find the area of the trapezoid.

1.
ANSWER 63 m2

2.
ANSWER 182 ft2

3.
ANSWER 50 cm2
Example 2 Use the Area of a Trapezoid

Find the value of b2 given that the area

of the trapezoid is 96 square meters.
SOLUTION
1
A = h(b1 + b2) Formula for the area of a trapezoid
2
1
96 = (8)(9 + b2) Substitute 96 for A, 8 for h, and 9 for b1.
2
192 = 8(9 + b2) Multiply each side by 2.
192 = 72 + 8b2 Use the distributive property.
120 = 8b2 Subtract 72 from each side.
15 = b2 Divide each side by 8.

ANSWER The value of b2 is 15 meters.

 Your Turn:

A gives the area of the trapezoid. Find the missing

measure.
1. A = 77 ft2 ANSWER h = 7 ft

2. A = 39 cm2
ANSWER b1 = 5 cm

3. A = 84 in.2 ANSWER b2 = 8 in.

4. A trapezoid has an area of 294 square yards. Its
height is 14 yards and the length of one base is 30
yards. Find the length of the other base.
ANSWER 12 yards