trapezium
A trapezium is a four-sided plane figure with two of its sides parallel.
In geometry, a quadrilateral (a shape with four sides) with two of its sides parallel. If the parallel sides have lengths a and b and the perpendicular distance between them is h (the height of the trapezium), its area A = 1/2h(a + b).
An isosceles trapezium has its sloping sides equal, is symmetrical about a line drawn through the midpoints of its parallel sides, and has equal base angles:
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| The area of a trapezium is calculated by splitting the trapezium diagonally into two triangles, so A = 1/2ha + 1/2hb = 1/2h(a + b). |
| For example, to find the area of a trapezium with parallel sides of 3 cm and 6 cm, 2 cm apart: |
| A = 1/2 × 2(3 + 6) = 9 cm2 |
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