Use the image to answer the question.

Question

A composite figure is comprised of a rectangle and two congruent right triangle on either side. The triangle have a height of 4 inches and a width of 3 inches.

The composite shape in the image has an area of 40 square inches. What is the area of the rectangle within the composite shape?

(1 point)
Responses

7 square inches
7 square inches

28 square inches
28 square inches

16 square inches
16 square inches

34 square inches

Answer 1

28 square inches

Explanation:
To find the area of the rectangle within the composite shape, we need to subtract the area of the two right triangles from the total area of the composite shape.

Each right triangle has an area of (1/2)(base)(height) = (1/2)(3)(4) = 6 square inches. Since there are two congruent triangles, the total area of the triangles is 2 * 6 = 12 square inches.

Therefore, the area of the rectangle is the total area of the composite shape minus the area of the triangles: 40 - 12 = 28 square inches.