In the trapezoid area formula A = 1/2 (b1 + b2) h, what does h denote?

• A. Width
• B. Distance between bases
• C. Height
• D. Base length

Answer: (C)

The quantity h is the height—the perpendicular distance between the two bases. In the area formula A = 1/2 (b1 + b2) h, the bases are the parallel sides, and h is the short distance you would measure by dropping a line straight from one base to the other so that it hits at a right angle to both bases. This is not the width or the length of a base; it’s how far apart the bases are.

Width refers to how wide the trapezoid is across, not the separation between the bases. The base length is one of the two parallel sides, not the distance between them. The height specifically captures that vertical separation, which is the key factor in the area calculation.