Question

A new park is being built in the shape of a trapezoid, as show in the diagram below. The builders will cover the ground with a solid rubber surface to ensure the children playing have a safe and soft place to land when they jump or fall. How many square yards of rubber will be needed for this park?

Answer 1

To find the total area of the trapezoid park, we need to first find the base lengths and height of the trapezoid.

Given:
Top base: 20 feet
Bottom base: 30 feet
Height: 15 feet

First, calculate the average of the top and bottom bases:
Average base length = (20 + 30) / 2 = 50 / 2 = 25 feet

Next, calculate the area of the trapezoid using the formula:
Area = 1/2 x (top base + bottom base) x height
Area = 1/2 x (20 + 30) x 15
Area = 1/2 x 50 x 15
Area = 750 square feet

Now, convert the area to square yards:
1 square yard = 9 square feet
750 square feet / 9 = 83.33 square yards

Therefore, 83.33 square yards of rubber will be needed for the park.