1. **State the problem:** Find the area of the given compound polygon with specified side lengths. 2. **Understand the shape:** The polygon is composed of vertical and horizontal segments with lengths: left vertical edge 16 in, top vertical segments 5 in and 7 in, top right horizontal 7 in, middle right horizontal 4 in, bottom right horizontal 6 in, bottom right vertical 5 in, and bottom horizontal 18 in. 3. **Approach:** Break the polygon into rectangles and sum their areas. 4. **Calculate vertical segments:** The total left vertical length is 16 in, split into 5 in and 7 in segments, so the remaining vertical segment is $16 - (5 + 7) = 4$ in. 5. **Calculate horizontal segments:** The bottom horizontal length is 18 in, which equals the sum of the top right horizontal segments: $7 + 4 + 6 = 17$ in, so there is a 1 in difference to consider in the shape. 6. **Divide the polygon into three rectangles:** - Rectangle A (top left): width 5 in, height 5 in - Rectangle B (middle): width 7 in, height 7 in - Rectangle C (bottom right): width 6 in, height 5 in 7. **Calculate areas:** - Area A = $5 \times 5 = 25$ sq in - Area B = $7 \times 7 = 49$ sq in - Area C = $6 \times 5 = 30$ sq in 8. **Sum areas:** Total area = $25 + 49 + 30 = 104$ square inches. **Final answer:** The area of the figure is **104 square inches**.