Area of triangles and quadrilaterals
The question
cm²
Area of a trapezium, 8 and 14 by 16
How it works.
- 01
A trapezium. You need its base and its height.
- 02
The two PARALLEL sides are 8 cm and 14 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: 16 cm. Not the sloping side.
- 04
Average the two parallel sides: (8 + 14) ÷ 2 = 11. That is the width of the rectangle this trapezium is worth.
- 05
Then it is that width times the height: 11 × 16 = 176 square cm.