The area of a square with perimeter 48 cm is

### Concept & Formula The perimeter of a square is the total length of its boundary. Once the side is found, the area can be calculated by squaring the side. $$ \text{Perimeter} = 4 \times \text{side} $$ $$ \text{Area} = \text{side}^2 $$ ### Step-by-Step Solution - **Given**: Perimeter of the square $= 48$ cm. - Let the side of the square be $a$. - Using the perimeter formula: $4a = 48$. - Solving for $a$: $a = 48 / 4 = 12$ cm. - Now, find the area using the area formula: $\text{Area} = a^2 = (12)^2$. - $\text{Area} = 144$ sq. cm. ### Exam Strategy & Shortcut This is a standard multi-step mental math problem. See 48, divide by 4 to get 12, square 12 to get 144. It should take less than 5 seconds without writing anything down. ### Common Pitfall Squaring the perimeter itself or confusing the area and perimeter formulas (e.g., multiplying $48 \times 4$). ### Final Answer Therefore, the correct answer is **144 sq. cm**.