Answer:
(a) 88 m²
Step-by-step explanation:
The area of a composite figure can be found by decomposing it into figures whose areas are easy to calculate. This figure can be decomposed any of several ways (as is often the case).
Drawing a vertical line down from the top-edge vertex, we can divide the figure into a trapezoid on the left and a rectangle on the right.
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Trapezoid
The trapezoid will have (vertical) bases of 4 m and 6 m, and a height of (16-8) = 8 m. Its area is ...
A = 1/2(b1 +b2)h = 1/2(4 +6)(8) = 40 m²
Rectangle
The rectangle on the right is 8 m wide and 6 m high, so its area is ...
A = LW = (8 m)(6 m) = 48 m²
Total
The total area is ...
trapezoid area + rectangle area = 40 m² +48 m² = 88 m²
The area of the composite figure is 88 m².
