LEARN THINGS THE EASY WAY

What is a Trapezoid

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

  • define trapezoid or trapezium.
  • calculate the area of trapezoid or trapezium.


Trapezoid

A trapezoid (trapezium in UK) is a convex quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides.

A trapezoid showing its height between parallel sides.

Things to know to acquire a clear concept of trapezium or trapezoid because there are two contradictory meanings of trapezium depending on English used in geographical areas:

  • Trapezium in UK = Trapezoid in US.
  • Irregular Quadrilateral in UK = Trapezium in US.

Area of Trapezoid

One can find out the area of a trapezoid in sevaral ways.

Let a and b be the lengths of two parallel sides and h the height. Then

Area = 12 (a+b) h square unit


Trapezoid Example

A trapezoid