Final answer:
To determine the dimensions of a square porch with an area of 144 square feet, one must calculate the square root of the area, which gives the length of each side as 12 feet. Thus, the porch measures 12 feet by 12 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the dimensions of a square porch with an area of 144 square feet, we use the formula a = s², where a is the area and s is the length of a side of the square. Since the area is given, we can solve for s by taking the square root of the area:
√144 sq ft = 12 ft
Therefore, each side of the square porch is 12 feet long. The dimensions of the porch are thus 12 feet by 12 feet.