Answer:
63 cm²
Explanation:
The shape is a composite of a rectangle 8 cm high and 6 cm wide, and a triangle 5 cm high and 6 cm wide. The total area will be the sum of the areas of the rectangle and triangle. Each area can be found using the appropriate formula.
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rectangle area
A = LW = (8 cm)(6 cm) = 48 cm²
triangle area
A = 1/2bh = 1/2(6 cm)(5 cm) = 15 cm²
total area
rectangle area + triangle area = 48 cm² +15 cm² = 63 cm²
The area of the composite shape is 63 cm².
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Additional comment
The area formula for a triangle tells you that the area is equivalent to a rectangle of the same width, but half the height. That means the triangle atop the rectangle has an area equal to a rectangle 6 cm wide and 5/2 = 2.5 cm high.
Effectively, the area of the figure is that of a rectangle 8+2.5 = 10.5 cm high and 6 cm wide.
A = LW = (10.5 cm)(6 cm) = 63 cm²