Answer :
In the above picture, we can see the two options
The perimeter of the first option is:
[tex]P_1=2\cdot7+6\cdot8=62in[/tex]The perimeter of the second option is:
[tex]P_2=2\cdot8+6\cdot7=58in[/tex]Therefore, the smallest perimeter is obtained connecting the sides of the cards that are 8 in long
The area of the larger polygon will be 3 times the area of one card
