Area of trapezoids

joshuamuniz

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Joined
Mar 3, 2008
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I really need help on finding the area of trapezoids.It seems as though if I find out one answer another pops up!Here's an example: A=1/2 h(b1+b2)
=1/2(242)(190+250)
=53,240
What do I do next I really need help! :(
 
joshuamuniz said:
A=1/2 h(b1+b2)
=1/2(242)(190+250)
=53,240
What do I do next I really need help!
It is hard to advise regarding what to do next, when what you've done already is so confusing. :oops:

Why did you pick the numbers you did? (Assuming you posted the complete exercise, you weren't given any values, just a formula.) What were you supposed to do with the formula? (You didn't include any instructions.) :shock:

Please reply with clarification. Thank you! :D

Eliz.
 
Hey, you know that the units have to be squared because...

think of the units (I'm not sure what they really are in the problem, so I'm calling them cm) as x.
If you plug the quantities into your equation, you would get:

(1/2)(242cm)(190cm + 250cm)

or

(1/2)(242x)(190x + 250x)

=

(1/2)(242x)(440x)
(1/2)(106,480x^2) ----------------------> right? because x times x equals x^2 and 242 times 440 equals 106,480.
53,240x^2

now replace x with cm:

53,240(cm)^2

http://tinyurl.com/2ge83c
 
Well, that would be correct if the length of the bases of the trapezoid and the height of the trapezoid were given in cm....BUT...I didn't see anything in this problem which specified any lengths...
 
Right, right - that was an assumption on my part - Joshuamuniz, if they don't give you units such as cm or m, etc, then it's probably alright to not put any, or to just say "units", or "units squared":

53,240 units^2
 
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