First can you work out the formula for the area of a trapezium?[br]Rotate out a second trapezium for a clue.[br]Compare the shape to the formula for a parallelogram.[br]Check your answer with the "show area formula" box.[br][br]Second can you change the shape (using the 3 blue corner dots and the height dot) to make other shapes?[br]See if you can find a rhombus, parallelogram, rectangle, square and any tyoe of triangle.[br]How does the formula change for the different shapes? Look at the values for a and b on the shape and in the formula.[br]Use the rotate slider to see that it's still always a parallelogram.
Move the height to 5, a = 7, b = 13. Use the rotate slider. What is the area of the parallelogram? What is the area of the trapezium? Check the formula box, so you can see the formula used.
Move the height to 3, a = 4, and b = 8. Use the rotate slider. What is the area of the parallelogram? What is the area of trapezium?
Without using the applet calculate the area of a trapezium with a height of 6, a = 4, and b = 12? Now use the applet above to see if you anwser was correct?[br][br]In the box below type in the area you found and answer if you were correct.
In your own words type out how you calculate the area of a trapezium.