Question

The figure shows a parallelogram inside a rectangle outline:

Answer 1

Answer:  Choice D)  4 over 25 square foot

This is the same as writing the fraction 4/25 of a square foot.

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Explanation:

The base of the rectangle is 3/5 of a foot. The horizontal portion of either triangle is 1/5 of a foot.

These two facts allow us to find that the base of the parallelogram is 3/5 - 1/5 = 2/5 of a foot.

Multiply this with the height (2/5) to get

area = base*height

area = (2/5)*(2/5)

area = 4/25 .... answer is choice D

Side note: the base and height are not always the same length.

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A slightly longer approach would have you follow these steps

1. Find the area of the rectangle. Call it A.
2. Find the area of the triangle on the left. Call it B.
3. Find the area of the triangle on the right. Call it C. You should find that B and C are the same value.
4. The final answer is the computation of A-B-C and you should get 4/25.