PRINCIPIA · THEOREM

Trapezoid midsegment = (a + b) / 2 and parallel

Dependencies: Triangle midsegment theorem (Triangle midsegment theorem), Midsegment converse (Midsegment converse), transitivity of parallelism (Parallel is transitive).

Statement

Let ABCDABCD be a trapezoid with ABCDAB \parallel CD (ABAB, CDCD are the two bases) and ADAD, BCBC the two legs. Let EADE \in AD and FBCF \in BC be the midpoints of the legs; the segment EFEF is the trapezoid midsegment. Then

EFABCD,EF  =  AB+CD2.EF \parallel AB \parallel CD, \qquad |EF| \;=\; \frac{|AB| + |CD|}{2}.

In words, the trapezoid midsegment is parallel to the two bases and has length equal to half their sum.

Trapezoid midsegment: the segment EF joining the leg midpoints E, F is parallel to the two bases, with length =\dfrac{|AB|+|CD|}{2}

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