A circle of radius r is inscribed in the trapezoid. Find the area of the trapezoid if the angles for the larger
A circle of radius r is inscribed in the trapezoid. Find the area of the trapezoid if the angles for the larger base are equal to α and β.
Consider a trapezoid ABCD.
If a circle inscribed in a trapezoid has a center O and its points of contact with the sides of the trapezoid K, L, M, N, then we have:
OK = OL = OM = ON = r, where r is the radius of the circle. We also have that KN = 2 * r.
Let’s draw perpendiculars from vertices B and C to the AD side: BE and CF.
Since the circle is inscribed in a trapezoid, you can see that:
AL = AK, BL = BN, CN = CM, DM = DK.
Then:
AD + BC = AK + DK + BN + CN = AL + DM + BL + CM = AB + CD.
Triangles ABE and DCF are rectangular. Therefore:
AB * sin (α) = BE = CA = CD * sin (β) = 2 * r.
Then the area of the trapezoid is:
S = (AD + BC) * BE / 2 = (AB + CD) * 2 * r / 2 = (AB + CD) * r =
= 2 * r * (1 / sin (α) + 1 / sin (β)) * r = 2 * r ^ 2 * (sin (α) + sin (β)) / (sin (α) * sin (β ))