Provide a set of instructions for a user to determine the area of a trapezoid.
1. Start by finding the two parallel sides of the trapezoid (A and B). 
2. Determine the length of the two parallel sides by measuring or looking up the length in a reference. 
3. Find the perpendicular sides (C and D) by connecting the ends of the two parallel sides. 
4. Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the area of the trapezoid: area = √((A^2 + B^2 – C^2 – D^2))  
5. Use a calculator or a geometry software to finish the calculation.
1. Start by drawing a trapezoid on a coordinate plane. 
2. Find the lengths of the four sides of the trapezoid.
3. Determine the area of a rectangle by multiplying the length of one side by the length of the other.
4. Use the same principle to determine the area of a trapezoid, by multiplying the length of one side by the length of the other.
5. The area of the trapezoid is the product of the lengths of the sides.