The base of the trapezoid is 8 cm and 10 cm the side of the trapezoid
The base of the trapezoid is 8 cm and 10 cm the side of the trapezoid is 6 cm, and one of the adjacent corners is 30 degrees, find the area of the trapezoid.
A trapezoid is a quadrilateral in which one pair of opposite sides is parallel, and the sides are not equal to each other.
The area of a trapezoid is the product of the half-sum of its bases by the height:
S = (a + b) / 2 h, where:
S is the area of the trapezoid;
a – smaller base of the BC;
b – larger base of AD;
h is the height of the trapezoid BH.
In order to calculate the area of the trapezoid, we find the height BH. To do this, consider the triangle ΔАВН. This triangle is rectangular. Let’s apply the sine theorem. The sine of an acute angle of a right triangle is the ratio of the opposite leg to the hypotenuse:
sin A = BH / AB;
BH = AB ∙ sin A;
sin 30º = 1/2;
BH = 6 1/2 = 6/2 = 3 cm;
S = (8 + 10) / 2 ∙ 3 = 18/2 ∙ 3 = 9 ∙ 3 = 27 cm2.
Answer: the area of the trapezoid is 27 cm2.