Describe how you can use the formulas for calculating the area of rectangles and triangles to figure out the area of the trapezoid?

Answer 1

Trapezoid area = (a+b)h/2

Triangle area = bh/2

rectangle area = bh

(a+b)/2 is the average of the two bases of the trapezoid. A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with 2 parallel sides. the parallel sides are called bases. the non-parallel sides are legs

A rectangle could be thought of as the limit of a trapezoid as the legs become parallel and equal in length and the bases become equal.

apply the trapezoid formula to a rectangle and Area = (b+b)h/2 as a=b

Or if a does not = b

(a+b)h/2 = ah/2 + bh/2 = the sum of the areas of two triangles, each with the height of the trapezoid, one with the base a and the other with base b, where a and b are the bases of the trapezoid

The trapezoid area is the sum of the areas of two triangles.