Area of a trapezium or trapezoid or parallelogram
To remember the area of a trapezium or trapezoid or parallelogram use the following mnemonic:
Sing the nursery rhyme "Pop Goes the Weasel".
i.e. Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
But sing the song using these words:
Half the sum of the parallel sides.
Times the distance between them.
This is how to calculate,
The area of the trapezium.
This is how it works.
Half the sum of the parallel sides.
Times the distance between them.
This is how to calculate, the area of a trapezium.
Example 1
Find the area of the trapezium.
Sing: Half the sum of the parallel sides.
12+142=262=13
Times the distance between them.
13×10=130
This is how to calculate the area of the trapezium.
ans=the area of a trapezium=130cm2
Or using the formula.
area=(a+b)2×h
area=(12+14)2×10=130cm2
Example 2
Find the area of the trapezium.
Sing: Half the sum of the parallel sides.
6+82=7
Times the distance between them.
7×4=28
This is how to calculate the area of the trapezium.
ans=the area of a trapezium=28m2
Or using the formula.
Area=(a+b)2×h
Area=(6+8)2×4=28m2
This is how you calculate the area of a trapezium or trapezoid or parallelogram.
