Draw a line going from the intersection of the 2 foot line going up and the 2 foot line going across. Draw this line so it is parallel to the 16 foot line at the bottom.
The orange figure is now cut into 2 pieces. The bottom piece is a rectangle and the top piece is a trapezoid.
Trapezoid ======== The area of a trapezoid = (a + b)*h/2; a and b are the parallel lines. h = 2 + 8 = 10 feet a = 1 b = 8 - 2 -2 = 4 feet. You are going to have to draw the diagram carefully to get this answer. a is on the right side of the trapezoid. b is on the left side. h = 8 + 2 = 10 feet
Area = (1 +4)*10/2 =25 square feet.
Rectangle ======= L= 8 feet w = 2 feet A = L * w Area= 2 *8 = 16 square feet.
Total Area Orange ============== Area = 16 + 25 = 41 square feet
Area of the Black Area ================= Area = L*W - 41 Square feet Area =16 *8 - 41 = 87 square feet
