What is the formula for calculating the area of a trapezoid?

The formula for calculating the area of a trapezoid is indeed 1/2 h(B1 + B2), where h represents the height and B1 and B2 represent the lengths of the two parallel bases. This formula is derived from the basic principle of finding the area of any shape by using an average of the bases multiplied by the height.

A trapezoid is defined by having two parallel sides (the bases) and two non-parallel sides. The area formula takes into account the unique geometry of the trapezoid by averaging the lengths of the bases, providing a more accurate representation of the overall area when multiplied by the height. The height is the perpendicular distance between the two bases.

In contrast, the other provided options apply to different shapes. The option referring to "base times height" applies to rectangles or parallelograms but does not account for the averaging of the bases necessary for calculating the area of a trapezoid. The choice involving "Pie times radius squared" defines the area of a circle, while "length times width" is another formula specific to rectangles. Only the option with 1/2 h(B1 + B2) appropriately addresses the properties of a trapezoid, making it the correct choice