A square has a side length of 14 feet. What is the area of the square (in square feet)?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks the basic area formula for a square. A square is a special rectangle where all sides are equal. The area of a square is found by multiplying the side by itself: Area = side * side. Since the side is given in feet, the computed area will be in square feet. This is a direct substitution problem, but it is important not to confuse area with perimeter. Perimeter would be 4*side, while area is side^2. Many options in such questions are designed to trap students who multiply by 4 or add numbers instead of squaring.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Side of square = 14 feet
• Area of square = side * side
• Units: feet for length, square feet for area

Concept / Approach:
Compute area by squaring the side length: 14^2. Keep the result as a numeric value in square feet.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Area = 14 * 14 Area = 196 square feet

Verification / Alternative check:
Since 14 is close to 15, the area should be close to 15^2 = 225. 196 is a bit smaller, which makes sense. Also, if you compute 14^2 as (10+4)^2 = 100 + 80 + 16 = 196, you confirm the multiplication cleanly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
176 can come from 14*12.5 or a partial mistake. 186 and 206 are near-miss distractors from arithmetic slips. 224 can come from perimeter-like thinking (4*56) confusion or wrong operation.

Common Pitfalls:
Computing perimeter instead of area, doubling instead of squaring, or making multiplication errors in 14*14.

Final Answer:
The area of the square is 196 square feet.