Find the area.

a = [?]cm²
12 cm, 6 cm and 10 cm
Shape: Trapezoid
Area of a trapezoid: (b1 + b2)/2 x h

1 answer

To find the area of a trapezoid, we use the formula:

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

where \(b_1\) and \(b_2\) are the lengths of the two parallel sides (bases) and \(h\) is the height (the perpendicular distance between the bases).

From your information, we have the following dimensions: 12 cm, 6 cm, and 10 cm. However, we need to define which values represent the bases and which represents the height.

Assuming:

  • \(b_1 = 12\) cm (the longer base)
  • \(b_2 = 6\) cm (the shorter base)
  • The height \(h\) would then be 10 cm.

Now, we can calculate the area:

\[ \text{Area} = \frac{(12 + 6)}{2} \times 10 \] \[ \text{Area} = \frac{18}{2} \times 10 \] \[ \text{Area} = 9 \times 10 \] \[ \text{Area} = 90 \text{ cm}^2 \]

So, the area of the trapezoid is \(90\) cm².