Solution:
To find the area of this composite figure, which is a combination of rectangles, we can approach it by breaking down the shape into simpler parts that we can easily calculate the area for and then combine them.From the image, we can see that there is a large rectangle on the right side of the figure with the dimensions of 5 cm by 8 cm. Next to it on the left, there is an upside-down "L" shaped figure which can be broken down into two smaller rectangles - one with the dimensions of 3 cm by 3 cm and the other 2 cm by 5 cm.Let's calculate the area for each part:1. Large rectangle: 5 cm x 8 cm = 40 cm²2. Small square (3 cm by 3 cm): 3 cm x 3 cm = 9 cm²3. Small rectangle (2 cm by 5 cm): 2 cm x 5 cm = 10 cm²Now let's add up the areas of all parts:Total area = Large rectangle area + Small square area + Small rectangle areaTotal area = 40 cm² + 9 cm² + 10 cm²Total area = 59 cm²So, the area of the figure is 59 square centimeters.