Find the length of the midline of a trapezoid, the diagonals are mutually perpendicular to their lengths 10 and 20
From the vertex C of the trapezoid, draw a straight line parallel to the side BD of the trapezoid, until it intersects with the straight line AD at point H.
Then the triangle ACH is rectangular, with a right angle at point C. The quadrilateral BCHD is a parallelogram, since BC is parallel to DH, and BD is parallel to CH, then CH = 10 cm.
From the right-angled triangle АСН, according to the Pythagorean theorem, we determine the length of the hypotenuse АН.
AH ^ 2 = AC ^ 2 + CH ^ 2 = 400 + 100 = 500.
AH = 10 * √5 cm.
AH = AD + DH.
Since DH = BC, then AH = AD + BC, which is the sum of the bases.
Let’s define the middle line of the trapezoid.
КР = (АD + ВС) / 2 = 10 * √5 / 2 = 5 * √5 cm.
Answer: The length of the middle line of the trapezoid is 5 * √5 cm.