Area of a trapezium

A trapezium is a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides (called bases). The area can be derived by dividing the trapezium into simpler shapes (like triangles and rectangles) or by averaging the lengths of the parallel sides and multiplying by the height.

Important properties

• The parallel sides are called the bases ($a$ and $b$).

• The height ($h$) is the perpendicular distance between the bases.

• Area formula: $A = \frac{1}{2}(a + b)h$.

• If $a = b$, the trapezium becomes a rectangle and the formula simplifies to $A = ah$.