Question

The area of a trapezoid is 144 ft 2. If the height is 8 feet and one of the bases is 12 feet, what is the length of the other base?

7.2 ft
14.4 ft
24 ft
16 ft

Answer 1

To find the average size of the bases, divide the area by 8.  
144/8 = 18  
Next, subtract 12 from 18 then add that number to 18 to find the other base's length.  
18 - 12 = 6  
18 + 6 = 24  
The length of the base is 24.

Answer 2

The length should be 24 ft.

First, you have to divide the area by the height (or 144 by 8) which would give us 18. Now, multiply that by 2 to get 36 and then subtract the length of the first base (or 12) to get 24.

The length of the second base is 24 ft! :)