This problem can be completed in 2 ways. Both are acceptable.
Option 1:
This is an isosceles trapezoid that can be divided into a rectangle and two congruent triangles.
The area of the rectangle is the base times the height.
[tex]9 \times 4=36[/tex]
The area of one of the triangles is half the base times the height.
[tex]\dfrac{1}{2} \times 5 \times 4 = 10[/tex]
The other triangle must have that area too.
[tex]36+10+10=56[/tex]
The area is 56 square centimeters.
Option 2:
We can use the area formula for the trapezoid.
[tex]A=\dfrac{b_1+b_2}{2} \times h[/tex]
Where [tex]b_1[/tex] is the length of the shorter base
and [tex]b_2[/tex] is the length of the longer base
and [tex]h[/tex] is the height.
The length of the shorter base is 9.
The length of the longer base is 9+5+5, or 19.
The height is 4.
[tex]A=\dfrac{9+19}{2} \times 4[/tex]
[tex]=56[/tex]
Same answer. The area is 56 square centimeters.
Both options are two acceptable ways the problem can be tackled.
