Multi-Part Lesson

8-3

Area of Composite Shapes

PART

Main Idea
I will find the area of
composite shapes.

New Vocabulary
composite shape

Find Areas of
Composite Shapes
A composite shape is made up of two or more shapes. To find
the area of a composite shape, break it into smaller parts.

POOLS Drew is staying at a hotel

that has the swimming pool
shown. Drew wants to know the
area of the pool. Find the area of
the swimming pool at Drews hotel.
Step 1

Break up the figure into smaller parts.

Look for rectangles and squares.

Step 2

Find the area of each part.

Rectangle
A = length (base) width (height)
A=


w
A=
12 m

6m
A = 72 sq m
Step 3

Square
A = side side
A= s
s
A = 10 m 10 m
A =100 sq m

Add the areas.

The area is 72 + 100 or 172 square meters.

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Area of a Composite Shape

Find the area of the composite
shape.
Step 1

Break up the shape into

smaller parts. Look for
rectangles and squares.
This shape can be broken
into 1 rectangle and 2 squares.

Step 2

Find the area of each part.

Rectangle
A = length width
A = 12 ft 2 ft
A = 24 square feet

Step 3

Square
A = side side
A = 3 ft 3 ft
A = 9 square feet

Add the areas.

24 + 9 + 9 = 42

So, the area of the shape is 42 square feet.

Find the area of each shape. See Examples 1 and 2 (pp. 398399)
1.

2.

3.

4. What is the area of the garden shown

at the right?
5.

Refer to Exercise 4. When

finding the area of the garden, what two
shapes did you look for?

Lesson 8-3 Area of Composite Shapes

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EXTRA

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See page R25.

Find the area of each shape. See Examples 1 and 2 (pp. 398399)
6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12. Courtney is playing miniature golf.

What is the area of the entire shape?

13. What is the area of the desktop?

The builders of Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National

Park in Florida began in 1846. It was supposed to
house large cannons, but was never completed.
14. Draw a picture to show how you could decompose
a hexagon to find the area of Fort Jefferson.
15. Trace a hexagon pattern block on a centimeter
grid paper. Count the squares to estimate the area.

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16. OPEN ENDED Draw and label two composite shapes that have
the same area but have different perimeters.
17. CHALLENGE Find the area of the shaded shape
in units.
18.

Create a word problem about a

real-world situation involving perimeter and area of
a composite shape.

Practice
19. Which equation below represents
the area (A) of the square in
square inches?

20. Which statement about the shape

is true?

F. The area is equal to the

perimeter.

A. 7 = A 7
B. A = (2 7) + (2 7)
C. A = 7 7

G. The perimeter is greater than

the area.

D. A = 7 4

H. The perimeter 38 centimeters.

I. The area is 48 square
centimeters.

Choose the better estimate. (Lesson 8-2E)

21. doormat
6 square inches or
6 square feet

22. dining room table

2 square feet or
2 square yards

23. bathroom tile

16 square inches or
16 square yards

24. Pia plays 32 minutes each soccer game and has 15 games
during the season. Her older sister plays 28 minutes each
soccer game and has 18 games in her season. How many
more minutes does Pias sister play than Pia? (Lesson 8-2D)
Lesson 8-3 Area of Composite Shapes

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