1. **State the problem:** We need to find the area of the given irregular shape composed of a rectangle and a right triangle. 2. **Identify the shapes and dimensions:** - Rectangle: width = 4 cm, height = 9 cm - Right triangle: height = 12 cm, base = (unknown, but can be deduced from the shape) 3. **Determine the base of the triangle:** Since the triangle is adjoining the rectangle on the right and the total height of the shape is 9 cm (rectangle) + 12 cm (triangle height), the base of the triangle is the horizontal length adjacent to the rectangle. The problem states the shape is roughly vertical, so the base of the triangle is the difference in horizontal length from the rectangle's width to the total width of the shape. However, since no total width is given, we assume the base of the triangle is equal to the rectangle's width, 4 cm. 4. **Calculate the area of the rectangle:** $$\text{Area}_{rectangle} = \text{width} \times \text{height} = 4 \times 9 = 36 \text{ cm}^2$$ 5. **Calculate the area of the triangle:** $$\text{Area}_{triangle} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} = \frac{1}{2} \times 4 \times 12 = 24 \text{ cm}^2$$ 6. **Calculate the total area:** $$\text{Area}_{total} = \text{Area}_{rectangle} + \text{Area}_{triangle} = 36 + 24 = 60 \text{ cm}^2$$ **Final answer:** The area of the shape is $60$ cm$^2$.