Use the image to answer the 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
34 square inches
34 square inches
16 square inches
Using the information given, the area of one of the triangles is (1/2) * base * height = (1/2) * 3 * 4 = 6 square inches. Since there are two congruent triangles, the total area of both triangles is 2 * 6 = 12 square inches.
Since the total area of the composite shape is 40 square inches, and the total area of the triangles is 12 square inches, the area of the rectangle within the composite shape is 40 - 12 = 28 square inches.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
28 square inches