Connect MN
Now......MB = 3 and BN = 4...and angle ABC is right....so....triangle MBN is a 3-4-5 Pythagorean Triple right triangle with MN = 5 and the area = (MB * BN)/2 = (3*4)/ 2 = 6
And triangle ABC is a 6-8-10 Pythagorean Triple right triangle with AC = 10
Now....MN divides the sides of triangle ABC proportionally so MN is parallel to AC
And AN is a transversal between two parallels so that angles CAN and MNP form equal alternate interior angles....and since they are vertical angles, angle APC = angle MPN.....
So....by angle- angle congruency, triangle APC is similar to triangle NPM
And AC can be considered the base of triangle APC and NM can be considered the base of triangle NPM.......but AC = 2NM.....so, by the square of the scale factor, 2....the area of triangle APC = 4 times the area of triangle NPM
Now....... triangle MBC has an area of (MB * BC) / 2 = (3 * 8) / 2 = 24/2 = 12
And triangle ANC has an area of (AB * NC) / 2 = ( 6 * 4) / 2 = 12
And MBC = NPMB + PNC
And ANC = APC + PNC
So....since MBC = ANC, then
NPMB + PNC = APC + PNC .....subtract PNC from both sides
NPMB = APC
But NPMB = area of triangle MBN + area of triangle NPM
So......substituting
6 + NPM = APC
6 + NPM = 4 (NPM)
6 = 3 (NPM)
2 = NPM
And APC is 4 times this = 8 (square units)
