Which correctly shows the area formula for a trapezoid a equals 1/2 height B1 + B2 rearrange for the quantity of interest h

1 answer

The area \( A \) of a trapezoid can be expressed using the formula:

\[ A = \frac{1}{2} h (B_1 + B_2) \]

where:

  • \( A \) is the area,
  • \( h \) is the height,
  • \( B_1 \) and \( B_2 \) are the lengths of the two parallel sides.

To rearrange this formula to solve for the height \( h \), follow these steps:

  1. Multiply both sides by 2 to eliminate the fraction:

\[ 2A = h (B_1 + B_2) \]

  1. Now, divide both sides by \( (B_1 + B_2) \) to isolate \( h \):

\[ h = \frac{2A}{B_1 + B_2} \]

Thus, the rearranged formula for the height \( h \) of a trapezoid in terms of its area \( A \) and the lengths of the bases \( B_1 \) and \( B_2 \) is:

\[ h = \frac{2A}{B_1 + B_2} \]