SOLUTION: I have tried to solve this numerous times and each time come up with a different answer my current answer is $45.00 A desk top has the shape of a trapezoid. The two parallel sides

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Question 127572: I have tried to solve this numerous times and each time come up with a different answer my current answer is $45.00
A desk top has the shape of a trapezoid. The two parallel sides have legnths of 2 m and 2.8 m, and the distance between the sides is 1.5 m. To protect the wood surface, a blotter will be made,at a cost of $25.00 per square meter, to cover the entire desk top. Find the total cost of the blotter

Answer by kev82(151) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
How have you tried it so far, what did you do to get $45.00?

I can tell you that $45.00 is most certainly wrong. Let's consider a rectangular desktop 2m across and 1.5m deep. The area of this is 2*1.5=3sq m. The blotter for the rectangular table would therefore cost 3*25=$75, and your table is bigger than this rectange, so your answer must be bigger than $75.

Do you know the formula for the area of a trapezium? Once you know this you should be able to work out the area of the desk. Once you know the area of the desk then the price is just the area times $25.