Area of a trapezoid
The question
cm²
Area of a trapezium, 3 and 4 by 4
How it works.
- 01
A trapezium. You need its base and its height.
- 02
The two PARALLEL sides are 3 cm and 4 cm. They are the pair that counts.
- 03
The height is the DASHED line — straight up from the base, at a right angle to it: 4 cm. Not the sloping side.
- 04
Average the two parallel sides: (3 + 4) ÷ 2 = 3.5. That is the width of the rectangle this trapezium is worth.
- 05
Then it is that width times the height: 3.5 × 4 = 14 square cm.