A compound shape is made of two or more simple shapes joined together, like an L-shape. To find its area, split it into rectangles, find the area of each one and add them.
Sometimes you need to work out a missing length first. In an L-shape, the missing side is often a total length take away a part you know. There may be more than one way to split the shape, but every correct way gives the same area.
Worked example
An L-shape splits into a rectangle 10 cm × 4 cm and a rectangle 3 cm × 5 cm. Find its area.
- 10 × 4 = 40 and 3 × 5 = 15.
- 40 + 15 = 55.
Answer:55 cm²
Key words
- compound shape
- a shape made of simpler shapes
- split
- divide the shape with a line
- missing length
- a side found from the others
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