Calculate the area of a trapezoid from the two parallel sides and the perpendicular height.
| Area | – |
Use this calculator to find the area of a trapezoid (also called a trapezium) from the two parallel sides and the height between them. A trapezoid has exactly one pair of parallel sides, called the bases. The non-parallel sides are the legs and are not needed for this area formula.
The formula is area = (a + b) / 2 × h, the average of the two bases times the perpendicular height. Height is the perpendicular distance between the bases, not the length of a slanted leg. The midsegment (the segment joining the midpoints of the legs) equals the average of the two bases.
Use the same length unit for both bases and the height. Area is then in that unit squared.
Base a: One parallel side.
Base b: The other parallel side.
Height: Perpendicular distance between the bases.
Area: Interior of the trapezoid.
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