What is the formula for the area of a trapezoid?

Solution: 

A trapezoid is a type of quadrilateral in which one pair of opposite sides are parallel.

The area formula of a trapezoid with parallel sides a and b and height h (the perpendicular distance between the bases) is Area = 1/2 (a + b) h square units.

Let's see an example.

Find the area of a trapezoid having parallel sides as 25 units and 15 units and its height is 10 units.

The bases are a = 25 units, b = 15 units.

The height is h = 10 units.

The formula for the area of a trapezoid is A = 1/2 (a + b) h square units.

A = 1/2 (25 + 15) (10) =  1/2 (40) (10) = 200 square units.

You can verify your answer using Cuemath's area of trapezoid calculator.

Therefore, the formula for the area of a trapezoid is 1/2 (a + b) h square units.

What is the formula for the area of a trapezoid?

Summary:

The formula for the area of a trapezoid is A = 1/2 (a + b) h square units, where a, b are the parallel sides of the trapezoid and h is the height.