Area of Polygons | FIO

Question 36

ZYXW is a trapezium with ZYWXZY \parallel WX. AA is the midpoint of XYXY. Show that the area of the trapezium ZYXW is equal to the area of ZWB\triangle ZWB.

Question diagram 1
Check your answer with HomiSolve it yourself, then let Homi check your steps and spot mistakes.
Solution
Understand the Question
  • In trapezium ZYXWZYXW, the sides ZYWXZY \parallel WX, and AA is the midpoint of XYXY.
  • The line segment ZAZA is extended to meet the extended line WXWX at point BB.
  • To show that Area(trapezium ZYXW)=Area(ZWB)\text{Area}(\text{trapezium } ZYXW) = \text{Area}(\triangle ZWB), we:
    1. Prove ZAYBAX\triangle ZAY \cong \triangle BAX using the ASA congruence criterion.
    2. Since congruent triangles have equal areas, adding the common region (quadrilateral ZWXAZWXA) to both triangles equates the area of trapezium ZYXWZYXW with the area of ZWB\triangle ZWB.

Step 1 · Prove ZAYBAX\triangle ZAY \cong \triangle BAX

Consider ZAY\triangle ZAY and BAX\triangle BAX.Question diagram Diagram 1

Since AA is the midpoint of XYXY AY=AXAY = AX

Since ZYWXZY \parallel WX (or ZYXBZY \parallel XB) with transversal XYXY, alternate interior angles are equal ZYA=BXA\angle ZYA = \angle BXA

Vertically opposite angles are equal ZAY=BAX\angle ZAY = \angle BAX

By the Angle-Side-Angle (ASA) congruence criterion ZAYBAX\triangle ZAY \cong \triangle BAX

Step 2 · Equate Areas of Trapezium and Triangle

Since congruent triangles have equal areas Area(ZAY)=Area(BAX)\text{Area}(\triangle ZAY) = \text{Area}(\triangle BAX)

Area of trapezium ZYXWZYXW is the sum of quadrilateral ZWXAZWXA and ZAY\triangle ZAY Area(trapezium ZYXW)=Area(quadrilateral ZWXA)+Area(ZAY)\text{Area}(\text{trapezium } ZYXW) = \text{Area}(\text{quadrilateral } ZWXA) + \text{Area}(\triangle ZAY)

Area of ZWB\triangle ZWB is the sum of quadrilateral ZWXAZWXA and BAX\triangle BAX Area(ZWB)=Area(quadrilateral ZWXA)+Area(BAX)\text{Area}(\triangle ZWB) = \text{Area}(\text{quadrilateral } ZWXA) + \text{Area}(\triangle BAX)

Substituting Area(ZAY)=Area(BAX)\text{Area}(\triangle ZAY) = \text{Area}(\triangle BAX) Area(trapezium ZYXW)=Area(quadrilateral ZWXA)+Area(BAX)\text{Area}(\text{trapezium } ZYXW) = \text{Area}(\text{quadrilateral } ZWXA) + \text{Area}(\triangle BAX)

Therefore Area(trapezium ZYXW)=Area(ZWB)\text{Area}(\text{trapezium } ZYXW) = \text{Area}(\triangle ZWB)

Answer

Area(trapezium ZYXW)=Area(ZWB)\text{Area}(\text{trapezium } ZYXW) = \text{Area}(\triangle ZWB)

Common Mistakes
  • Alternate Interior Angles Error: Forgetting that ZYXBZY \parallel XB holds because BB lies on the line extension of side WXWX.
  • Congruence Criteria Confusion: Incorrectly citing SAS instead of ASA; the equal side AY=AXAY = AX lies strictly between the two equal pairs of angles (alternate interior and vertically opposite angles).

More questions in FIO

Q1

Identify the missing sidelengths.

Q2

The figure shows a path (the shaded portion) laid around a rectangular park EFGH.

(i) What measurements do you need to find the area of the path? Once you identify the lengths to be measured, assign possible values of your choice to these measurements and find the area of the path. Give a formula for the area.

An example of a formula — Area of a rectangle=length×width\text{Area of a rectangle} = \text{length} \times \text{width}.

[Hint: There is a relation between the areas of EFGH, the path, and ABCD.**]

(ii) If the width of the path along each side is given, can you find its area? If not, what other measurements do you need? Assign values of your choice to these measurements and find the area of the path. Give a formula for the area using these measurements.

[Hint: Break the path into rectangles.**]

(iii) Does the area of the path change when the outer rectangle is moved while keeping the inner rectangular park EFGH inside it, as shown?

Q3

The figure shows a plot with sides 14 m14\text{ m} and 12 m12\text{ m}, and with a crosspath. What other measurements do you need to find the area of the crosspath? Once you identify the lengths to be measured, assign some possible values of your choice and find the area of the path. Give a formula for the area based on the measurements you choose.

Q4

Find the area of the spiral tube shown in the figure. The tube has the same width throughout.

[Hint: There are different ways of finding the area. Here is one method.]

What should be the length of the straight tube if it is to have the same area as the bent tube on the left?

Q5

In this figure, if the sidelength of the square is doubled, what is the increase in the areas of the regions 1, 2 and 3? Give reasons.

Q6

Divide a square into 4 parts by drawing two perpendicular lines inside the square as shown in the figure.

Rearrange the pieces to get a larger square, with a hole inside.

You can try this activity by constructing the square using cardboard, thick chart paper, or similar materials.

Q7

Find the areas of the following triangles:

Q8

Find the length of the altitude BY\text{BY}.

Q9

Find the area of ΔSUB\Delta\text{SUB}, given that it is isosceles, SE\text{SE} is perpendicular to UB\text{UB}, and the area of ΔSEB\Delta\text{SEB} is 24 sq. units24\text{ sq. units}.

Q10

[Śulba-Sūtras] Give a method to transform a rectangle into a triangle of equal area.

Q11

[Śulba-Sūtras] Give a method to transform a triangle into a rectangle of equal area.

Q12

ABCD, BCEF, and BFGH are identical squares.

(i) If the area of the red region is 49 sq. units, then what is the area of the blue region?

(ii) In another version of this figure, if the total area enclosed by the blue and red regions is 180 sq. units, then what is the area of each square?

Q13

If MM and NN are the midpoints of XYXY and XZXZ, what fraction of the area of ΔXYZ\Delta\text{XYZ} is the area of ΔXMN\Delta\text{XMN}? [Hint: Join NYNY]

Q14

Gopal needs to carry water from the river to his water tank. He starts from his house. What is the shortest path he can take from his house to the river and then to the water tank? Roughly recreate the map in your notebook and trace the shortest path.

Q15

Find the area of the quadrilateral ABCDABCD given that AC=22 cmAC = 22\text{ cm}, BM=3 cmBM = 3\text{ cm}, DN=3 cmDN = 3\text{ cm}, BMBM is perpendicular to ACAC, and DNDN is perpendicular to ACAC.

Q16

Find the area of the shaded region given that ABCD is a rectangle.

Q17

What measurements would you need to find the area of a regular hexagon?

Q18

What fraction of the total area of the rectangle is the area of the blue region?

Q19

Give a method to obtain a quadrilateral whose area is half that of a given quadrilateral.

Q20

Observe the parallelograms in the figure below.

(i) What can we say about the areas of all these parallelograms?

(ii) What can we say about their perimeters? Which figure appears to have the maximum perimeter, and which has the minimum perimeter?

Q21

Find the areas of the following parallelograms:

Q22

Find QN\text{QN}.

Q23

Consider a rectangle and a parallelogram of the same sidelengths: 5 cm5\text{ cm} and 4 cm4\text{ cm}. Which has the greater area? [Hint: Imagine constructing them on the same base.]

Q24

Give a method to obtain a rectangle whose area is twice that of a given triangle. What are the different methods that you can think of?

Q25

[Śulba-Sūtras] Give a method to obtain a rectangle of the same area as a given triangle.

Q26

[Śulba-Sūtras] An isosceles triangle can be converted into a rectangle by dissection in a simpler way. Can you find out how to do it?

[Hint: Show that triangles ΔADB\Delta \text{ADB} and ΔADC\Delta \text{ADC} can be made into halves of a rectangle. Figure out how they should be assembled to get a rectangle. Use cut-outs if necessary.]

Q27

[Śulba-Sūtras] Give a method to convert a rectangle into an isosceles triangle by dissection.

Q28

Which has greater area—an equilateral triangle or a square of the same sidelength as the triangle? Which has greater area—two identical equilateral triangles together or a square of the same sidelength as the triangle? Give reasons.

Q29

Find the area of a rhombus whose diagonals are 20 cm20\text{ cm} and 15 cm15\text{ cm}.

Q30

Give a method to convert a rectangle into a rhombus of equal area using dissection.

Q31

Find the areas of the following figures:

Q32

[Śulba-Sūtras] Give a method to convert an isosceles trapezium to a rectangle using dissection.

Q33

Here is one of the ways to convert trapezium ABCDABCD into a rectangle EFGHEFGH of equal area —

Given the trapezium ABCDABCD, how do we find the vertices of the rectangle EFGHEFGH?

[Hint: If ΔAHIΔDGI\Delta AHI \cong \Delta DGI and ΔBEJΔCFJ\Delta BEJ \cong \Delta CFJ, then the trapezium and rectangle have equal areas.]

Q34

Using the idea of converting a trapezium into a rectangle of equal area, and vice versa, construct a trapezium of area 144 cm2144\text{ cm}^2.

Q35

A regular hexagon is divided into a trapezium, an equilateral triangle, and a rhombus, as shown. Find the ratio of their areas.

Q36

ZYXW is a trapezium with ZYWXZY \parallel WX. AA is the midpoint of XYXY. Show that the area of the trapezium ZYXW is equal to the area of ZWB\triangle ZWB.

← Back to Area of Polygons