Question

Please help thank you.

Answer 1

This problem can be completed in 2 ways. Both are acceptable.

Option 1:

This is an isosceles trapezoid that can be divided into a rectangle and two congruent triangles.

The area of the rectangle is the base times the height.

$9 \times 4=36$

The area of one of the triangles is half the base times the height.

$\dfrac{1}{2} \times 5 \times 4 = 10$

The other triangle must have that area too.

$36+10+10=56$

The area is 56 square centimeters.

Option 2:

We can use the area formula for the trapezoid.

$A=\dfrac{b_1+b_2}{2} \times h$

Where $b_1$ is the length of the shorter base
and $b_2$ is the length of the longer base
and $h$ is the height.

The length of the shorter base is 9.
The length of the longer base is 9+5+5, or 19.

The height is 4.

$A=\dfrac{9+19}{2} \times 4$

$=56$

Same answer. The area is 56 square centimeters.

Both options are two acceptable ways the problem can be tackled.