The figure is formed from rectangles. Find the total area. The diagram is not to scale.?

You can think of this as the sum of two rectangles, or a large rectangle with a smaller one taken out. Either way, you should get the same answer.

I'll to the large area minus the small one.

The total width is 10 ft and the total height is 8 ft, so the area is:

10 * 8 = 80 ft²

Now to subtract out the portion in the upper-right hand corner.

the square is 2 ft by 2 ft, so the rectangle has the width of the same as the square, 2ft, but the height is 2 feet less than the overall height, or 6 ft, so:

2 * 6 = 12 ft²

Now subtract it from the overall area to get your answer:

80 - 12 = 68 ft²

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If we were to do it as the sum of two rectangles, you should get the same value. Left one is 8 ft by 8 ft:

8 * 8 = 64

and the right one, as I said above is 2 ft by 2 ft:

2 * 2 = 4

add them:

64 + 4 = 68 ft² (the same answer)

8x8 + 2x2 = 68 sq ft