To calculate the area of a circle, you can use the formula:
\[ A = \pi r^2 \]
where \( r \) is the radius of the circle. In this case, the diameter is given as 8 inches, so the radius \( r \) is half of the diameter:
\[ r = \frac{8}{2} = 4 \text{ in} \]
Now, substitute \( r = 4 \) into the area formula using \( \pi \approx 3.14 \):
\[ A = 3.14 \times (4)^2 \] \[ A = 3.14 \times 16 \] \[ A = 50.24 \text{ in}^2 \]
So, the area of the circle, rounded to the nearest hundredth, is:
\[ A = 50.24 \text{ in}^2 \]