Trapezoid Area Calculator

Introduction

Welcome to our Trapezoid Area Calculator! which will help you calculate the Trapezoid’s area quickly and accurately. A trapezoid is a closed two-dimensional shape that has four sides and at least two sides parallel to each other. The parallel sides are called the bases of the trapezoid, whereas, the non-parallel sides are called the lateral sides or legs of the trapezoid.

The shortest distance between the two parallel sides is known as the altitude of the trapezoid. The space occupied by the trapezoid on the two-dimensional plane is called the area of the trapezoid.

How to use the Trapezoid Area Calculator?

Using the trapezoid area calculator, you can calculate the area of the trapezoid by inputting the length of the bases and the altitude or height of the trapezoid.

The variables in the Trapezoid Area Calculator include:

Shorter Base (a) The length of the shorter of the two bases

Longer base (b) The length of the longer of the two bases

Height/Altitude (h) The height or altitude of the trapezoid.

Trapezoid Area (A) The area of the trapezoid is calculated using the formula

A=a+b2×hA = \normalsize \dfrac{a+b}{2} \times h

Where,

a = Length of the Shorter Base

b = Length of the Longer Base

h = Length of the height or altitude of the Trapezoid

What is a Trapezoid?

A trapezoid is a closed two-dimensional space with four sides in which at least two sides are parallel to each other.

The two parallel sides of the trapezoid are called the bases of the trapezoid, whereas the trapezoid’s non-parallel sides are called the trapezoid’s legs or lateral sides.

The perpendicular dropped from one of the bases to the other is the height or altitude of the trapezoid.

The properties of the trapezoid are

  1. The bases are parallel to each other.

  2. The adjacent angles will add up to 180

  3. The median of the trapezoid will be parallel to both the bases and its length will be equal to $(a + b)/2$

Types of Trapezoids

Basically, there are three types of trapezoids.

Isosceles Trapezoid
If the lateral sides of the trapezoid are equal in length, then the trapezoid is called an isosceles trapezoid. Consequently, the angles formed by the base with the lateral sides will be equal.

Scalene Trapezoid
If none of the trapezoid sides are equal, then it is a scalene trapezoid.

Right Trapezoid
If the trapezoid has a pair of right angles, then it is called a Right trapezoid.

How is the Area of the Trapezoid calculated?

The total space taken up by the Trapezoid on a two-dimensional plane is called the area of the Trapezoid. It could also be thought of as the number of square units required to fill the region inside the Trapezoid. Hence the measurement will be in square units.

We can calculate the area of the Trapezoid using the following formula, where we take the average length of the parallel sides and multiply it by the altitude or height of the trapezoid.

A=a+b2×hA = \normalsize \dfrac{a+b}{2} \times h

Where,

a = Length of the Shorter Base

b = Length of the Longer Base

h = Length of the height or altitude of the Trapezoid

Examples

Let’s say there’s a trapezoid with the length of the shorter base equal to 5 cm, the length of the longer base equal to 7 cm, and height equal to 6 cm. What is the area of a trapezoid?

The area of the trapezoid can be calculated using the following formula.

A=a+b2×h=5+72×6=36  cm2\begin{aligned} A &= \normalsize \dfrac{a+b}{2} \times h \\[10pt] &= \normalsize \dfrac{5+7}{2} \times 6 \\[10pt] &= 36 \; cm^2 \end{aligned}

As shown above, in the example, the area of the trapezoid is equal to 36 sq cm.

Author

hexacalculator design team

Our team blends expertise in mathematics, finance, engineering, physics, and statistics to create advanced, user-friendly calculators. We ensure accuracy, robustness, and simplicity, catering to professionals, students, and enthusiasts. Our diverse skills make complex calculations accessible and reliable for all users.