The radius of the base of the cone is equal to 3 inches. Since the plane intersects the cone at the midpoint between the vertex A and point B, the radius of that circle formed from the intersection is equal to 1.5 inches. The area is calculated through the equation,
A = πr²
Substituting the known values,
A = π(1.5 in)² = 7.067 in²
Thus, the answer to this item is the letter B.