The length of the two parallel sides of a trapezium are 16 m and 20 m respectively. If its height is 10m, its area in square metre is

Options

A. 360
B. 260
C. 240
D. 180

Answer

To find the area of the trapezium, we will use the formula for the area of a trapezium:

**Area = \(\frac{1}{2} \times (a + b) \times h\)**

Where:
- \(a\) and \(b\) are the lengths of the two parallel sides,
- \(h\) is the height of the trapezium.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the lengths of the parallel sides and the height**:
- Length of the first parallel side (\(a\)) = 16 m
- Length of the second parallel side (\(b\)) = 20 m
- Height (\(h\)) = 10 m

2. **Substitute the values into the formula**:
\[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times (16 + 20) \times 10 \]

3. **Calculate the sum of the parallel sides**:
\[ 16 + 20 = 36 \]

4. **Substitute the sum back into the formula**:
\[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times 36 \times 10 \]

5. **Calculate \(\frac{1}{2} \times 36\)**:
\[ \frac{1}{2} \times 36 = 18 \]

6. **Now multiply by the height**:
\[ \text{Area} = 18 \times 10 = 180 \]

7. **Final result**:
\[ \text{Area} = 180 \text{ square meters} \]

### Conclusion:
The area of the trapezium is **180 square meters**.