Final answer:
The perimeter of a square is four times the side length. Given that the perimeter is 48 inches, the length of one side is therefore 48 inches divided by 4, which equals 12 inches. The correct side length of the square is thus not among the provided choices, as none of them are 12 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The perimeter of a square is the total distance around the square, and it is calculated by adding up the lengths of all four sides. Since all sides of a square are equal, if the side length of a square is denoted as s, the perimeter (P) is 4 times the side length (P = 4s). Given that the perimeter is 48 inches, we find the side length by dividing the perimeter by 4:
s = P / 4
s = 48 inches / 4
s = 12 inches
Therefore, the side length of the square is 12 inches, which corresponds to option C. 10 inches from the choices given cannot be the correct answer since it does not match our calculation. Options A, B, and D also do not match our calculated side length of 12 inches.