Final answer:
To find the area of a trapezoid, use the formula A = (1/2)(b1 + b2)(h), where A is the area, b1 and b2 are the lengths of the parallel bases, and h is the height.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formula for finding the area of a trapezoid is A = (1/2)(b1 + b2)(h), where A is the area, b1 and b2 are the lengths of the parallel bases, and h is the height. To find the area, you need to know the lengths of the parallel bases and the height. Plug in the values into the formula and calculate the area. For example, if b1 = 5 cm, b2 = 7 cm, and h = 4 cm, the area would be A = (1/2)(5 + 7)(4) = 24 square centimeters.