## Introductory Algebra for College Students (7th Edition)

The figure has an area of $72$ square meters.
To find the area of this figure, we need to break it down into its component parts. We can see that this figure is made up of three rectangles. One rectangle has a length of $9$ meters and a width of $4$ meters. Another rectangle has a length of $8$ meters and a width of $3$ meters. The last rectangle has a length of $4$ meters and a width of $3$ meters. If we add the areas of these three rectangles, we will then get the area of the entire figure. The area of a rectangle is given by the formula: $$A = lw$$ where $A$ is the area of the rectangle, $l$ is the measure of its length, and $w$ is the measure of its width. For the first rectangle, we plug in $9$ meters for $l$ and $4$ meters for $w$: $$A = (9)(4)$$ We multiply to solve: $A = 36$ square meters For the second rectangle, we plug in $8$ meters for $l$ and $3$ meters for $w$: $$A = (8)(3)$$ We multiply to solve: $A = 24$ square meters For the third rectangle, we plug in $4$ meters for $l$ and $3$ meters for $w$: $$A = (4)(3)$$ Multiply to solve: $A = 12$ square meters Now, we add the areas of the three rectangles to get the area of the entire figure: $$A = 36 + 24 + 12$$ Add to solve: $A = 72$ square meters