Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is option b) A square 3 miles on a side, which yields an area of 9 square miles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is option b) A square 3 miles on a side. To find the area of a square, you multiply the length of one side by itself. In this case, if a square is 3 miles on each side, the area would be 3 miles × 3 miles, which equals 9 square miles. Option b accurately represents an area of 9 square miles. In contrast, option c suggests a square that is 9 miles on each side, which would result in an area of 81 square miles, and therefore is much bigger than 9 square miles. Options a and d do not represent an area since they suggest linear measurements rather than an enclosed space.
When we talk about the area of a square, we are referring to the space enclosed within its four sides. The area of a square can be found by multiplying the length of one side by itself. In this case, if the square has a side length of 9 miles, then its area would be 9 miles x 9 miles = 81 square miles.