Use the image to answer the question.
An illustration shows a trapezoid with the longer side on the left labeled as 12 inches. The opposite parallel side is 10 inches. Two perpendicular dotted lines extend from the vertices at either end of the 10 inch side to the longer side, and are labeled 8 inches. The two perpendicular lines are denoted by 4 right angle symbols.
What is the area of the quadrilateral?
The area of a trapezoid can be calculated using the formula:
Area = (1/2) * (a + b) * h
Where:
a = length of the longer side = 12 inches
b = length of the shorter side = 10 inches
h = height of the trapezoid, which can be calculated by the perpendicular line from the shorter side to the longer side = 8 inches
Plugging in the values:
Area = (1/2) * (12 + 10) * 8
Area = (1/2) * 22 * 8
Area = 11 * 8
Area = 88 square inches
Therefore, the area of the quadrilateral is 88 square inches.