Final answer:
To calculate the area moment of inertia for an I-beam, you need to break it down into its individual shapes and calculate their moments of inertia separately using the appropriate formulas. Then, you can add all the individual moments of inertia to find the moment of inertia of the I-beam as a whole.
Step-by-step explanation:
The area moment of inertia for an I-beam can be calculated by considering it as a composite shape made up of smaller basic shapes. The formula for the moment of inertia of a composite shape is:
I = I1 + I2 + ... + In
Where I1, I2, ... , In are the individual moments of inertia of each shape that makes up the composite shape. To calculate the moment of inertia for an I-beam, you would need to break it down into its constituent shapes (rectangles and triangles) and calculate their individual moments of inertia using the appropriate formulas. Then, you can add all the individual moments of inertia to find the moment of inertia of the I-beam as a whole.