Final answer:
To represent the total area of figures created from squares and rectangles, sum the areas of individual figures. The dimensions of squares formed follow a pattern of perfect squares, and unknown geometric quantities can be resolved by using algebraic equations and understanding the relationship between dimensions and areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
To form squares using tiles and rectangles and represent their total area, calculate the area of each individual figure and add them together. If we use the sides of the tiles to form squares, the dimensions of these squares could be multiples of the tile's side. For example, if we have a tile with a 1-inch side, we can form squares with dimensions 1x1, 2x2, 3x3, and so on. In this context, the dimensions indicate the length of one side of the square, which are essentially perfect squares when multiplied by themselves.
Marta has a square tile with a side length of 4 inches. She has another square that is twice as large as the first one, which means the side length of the larger square is 4 inches x 2 = 8 inches. The area of the larger square is 8 inches x 8 inches = 64 square inches, which is 4 times the area of the smaller square (4 inches x 4 inches = 16 square inches).
This illustrates an important concept in geometry: when you scale the dimensions of a figure by a factor, the area is scaled by the square of that factor. Thus, unknown geometric quantities can often be solved through algebraic equations and understanding the relationships between linear dimensions and areas.