We have looked at a couple of special lines within a trapezoid that are parallel to the bases - the area bisector which partitions the trapezoid into two smaller trapezoids with equal areas, and the … [Read more...] about Similar Trapezoids
Trapezoids
A quadrangle in which one pair of opposite sides are parallel to each other, but the other pair is not, is called a trapezoid.
Outside of the US and Canada, it is often called a trapezium.
Trapezoids are usually drawn with one of the parallel edges at the bottom. The parallel edges are called the bases, while the non-parallel edges are called the sides.
There are several types of special trapezoids.
"Right trapezoids" have one side which is perpendicular to the bases, creating two right angles.
Isosceles trapezoids have two sides which are equal sized and have the same angles between themselves and the bases.
--
Now that we've explained the basic concept of trapezoids in geometry, let's scroll down to work on specific geometry problems relating to this topic.
Line Parallel to the Base of a Trapezoid
There are a number of interesting features of lines drawn parallel to the bases of a trapezoid. We saw one of these in this problem- a line parallel to the bases and connecting the midpoints of the … [Read more...] about Line Parallel to the Base of a Trapezoid
Trapezoid Midsegment Theorem
The triangle midsegment theorem states that the line connecting the midpoints of two sides of a triangle, called the midsegment, is parallel to the third side, and its length is equal to half the … [Read more...] about Trapezoid Midsegment Theorem
Trapezoids: Adjacent angles are Supplementary
In a trapezoid, the two angles that are on the same leg (one on the top base, one on the bottom base) are called 'adjacent angles'. They are supplementary, meaning their measures sum up to 180°, as we … [Read more...] about Trapezoids: Adjacent angles are Supplementary