Final answer:
The combined area of the four blades of a pinwheel can be found by multiplying the area of one blade by the total number of blades.
Step-by-step explanation:
The combined area of the four blades of a pinwheel can be found by multiplying the area of one blade by the total number of blades, which in this case is 4. Since the blades are congruent right trapezoids, we can use the formula A = ½(b₁ + b₂)h to find the area of each blade. Let's say the length of the top base is b₁, the length of the bottom base is b₂, and the height is h. Then, the area of one blade is A₁ = ½(b₁ + b₂)h. To find the combined area, we multiply this by the total number of blades: A = 4A₁ = 4(½(b₁ + b₂)h) = 2(b₁ + b₂)h.