Ice is usually used in cool drinks to further cool them - NSC Mathematical Literacy - Question 5 - 2023 - Paper 2

To calculate the surface area of a cube, we use the formula:

$$ext{Surface Area} = 6 imes ext{side length}^2$$

Substituting the given side length:

$$ext{Surface Area} = 6 imes (4.5 ext{ cm})^2$$

Calculating the square of the side length:

$$(4.5)^2 = 20.25 ext{ cm}^2$$

Now, multiplying by 6:

$$ext{Surface Area} = 6 imes 20.25 = 121.5 ext{ cm}^2$$

Thus, the surface area of the cube is 121.5 cm².