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 11 options:

3 cm

2.9 cm

2.8 cm

2.3 cm

1 answer

To find the missing measurement (the bottom), we will use the formula for the area of a trapezoid:

\[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h \]

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, we can rearrange the formula to solve for \( b_2 \):

\[ 30.9 = \frac{1}{2} \times (6.9 + b_2) \times 6.3 \]

First, simplify the equation:

\[ 30.9 = (6.9 + b_2) \times 3.15 \]

Now divide both sides by 3.15:

\[ \frac{30.9}{3.15} = 6.9 + b_2 \]

Calculating the left side:

\[ \frac{30.9}{3.15} \approx 9.8 \]

Now we have:

\[ 9.8 = 6.9 + b_2 \]

Subtracting 6.9 from both sides gives:

\[ b_2 = 9.8 - 6.9 = 2.9 \]

So, the missing measurement for the bottom is:

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

Thus, the answer is 2.9 cm.