How to Find the Height of a Trapezoid easily? 3-Steps approach

Trapezoid is basically a quadrilateral comprising two parallel lines (one smaller, other larger) and two non-parallel lines.

This particular arrangement of four lines gives one rectangle between the two right triangles. Non-parallel lines constitute hypotenuse of the right triangle.

 

Height of a trapezoid is the height of the right triangle. In order to find the height of a trapezoid we use Pythagorean Theorem. Now see how we find the height of a trapezoid in three easy steps.

Step – 1

Take difference of 2 parallel lines by subtracting smaller side from larger side

Step – 2

Divide this difference by 2 (it is the base of right triangle)

Step – 3

Use Pythagorean Theorem to find the height of the right triangle (it is the height of a trapezoid)

Example

Find the height of a trapezium whose sides are 14 and 8, and hypotenuse is 5?

Solution

Step – 1

Difference of 2 sides = 14 – 8 = 6

Step – 2

Difference/2 = 6/2 = 3

Step – 3

Use Pythagorean Theorem to find the height

h² + b² = c²
h² + 3² = 5²
h² = 5² – 3²
h² = 25 – 9
h² = 16
h = 4

This is the height of the trapezoid.