Trapezoid Calculator
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Trapezoids

To use the calculator, you need to know the lengths of all 4 tapezoid sides.
Lines BC and AD are parallel and are called bases.
Lines AB and DC are the non-parallel sides and are called legs.
Lines AC and DB are called diagonals.
The line perpindicular to lines AD & BC is called the height or altitude.
height²= [(a+b-c+d)(-a+b+c+d)(a-b-c+d)(a+b-c-d)] ÷ (4(a-c))²
The line parallel to lines AD & BC, is at the midpoints of lines AB and DC and is called the median.
The length of the median = (Line AD + Line BC) ÷ 2
Trapezoid Area = height × median

ALL TRAPEZOIDS have the following properties:
1) ONE pair of opposite sides are parallel. (BC and AD)
2) The sum of the angles attached to the same leg = 180°
    ∠ 'A' plus ∠ 'B' = 180°
    ∠ 'C' plus ∠ 'D' = 180°

2 special cases of trapezoids are worth mentioning.


The isosceles trapezoid has both legs of equal length, each pair of angles along each base are equal AND both diagonals are equal.
The right trapezoid has two right angles.


Significant Figures >>>
The default setting is for 5 significant figures but you can change that by inputting another number in the box above.

Answers are displayed in scientific notation and for easier readibility, numbers between .001 and 1,000 will be displayed in standard format (with the same number of significant figures.)
The answers should display properly but there are a few browsers that will show no output whatsoever. If so, enter a zero in the box above. This eliminates all formatting but it is better than seeing no output at all.

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