Find the missing measurement. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.

Height = 6.3 cm
Top = 6.9 cm
Bottom = ? cm
Area = 30.9 cm ^2
Question 7 options:

3 cm

2.9 cm

2.8 cm

2.3 cm

1 answer

To find the missing measurement at the bottom, we can use the formula for the area of a trapezoid, which is given by:

\[ \text{Area} = \frac{(b_1 + b_2)}{2} \times h \]

Where:

  • \( b_1 \) is the length of the top base (6.9 cm)
  • \( b_2 \) is the length of the bottom base (unknown)
  • \( h \) is the height (6.3 cm)
  • Area is given as (30.9 cm²)

Plugging in the known values:

\[ 30.9 = \frac{(6.9 + b_2)}{2} \times 6.3 \]

To simplify, first divide both sides by 6.3:

\[ \frac{30.9}{6.3} = \frac{(6.9 + b_2)}{2} \]

Calculating \( \frac{30.9}{6.3} \):

\[ \frac{30.9}{6.3} \approx 4.9 \]

Now, we have:

\[ 4.9 = \frac{(6.9 + b_2)}{2} \]

Next, multiply both sides by 2:

\[ 9.8 = 6.9 + b_2 \]

Now, solve for \( b_2 \):

\[ b_2 = 9.8 - 6.9 \]

Calculating that gives:

\[ b_2 = 2.9 , \text{cm} \]

Therefore, the missing measurement at the bottom is:

\[ \boxed{2.9 , \text{cm}} \]