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
