Which formula is used to calculate the area of a trapezoid?

The formula used to calculate the area of a trapezoid is indeed the one that involves the lengths of the two bases and the height. Specifically, the area of a trapezoid is found by taking the average of the lengths of the two bases (usually denoted as (b_1) and (b_2)) and multiplying that average by the height of the trapezoid. This is mathematically represented as:

[

\text{Area} = \frac{(b_1 + b_2)}{2} \times h

]

Here, (h) refers to the height, which is the perpendicular distance between the two bases. This formula effectively captures the concept of a trapezoid, as it takes into consideration both bases and their respective lengths.

In contrast, the first choice refers to the area of a triangle (where (b) represents the base and (h) the height) and does not apply to trapezoids. The third option describes a different formula that is not specific to trapezoids, possibly implying the area of a rectangle or parallelogram mistakenly. Finally, the fourth option pertains to the area of a rectangle since it involves multiplying length by width but