How do you derive the perimeter of a square?

The perimeter of a square is derived by understanding that all four sides of a square are equal in length, and we denote the length of one side as "s." To find the perimeter, which is the total distance around the square, you can add the length of each of the four sides together. This leads to the equation P = s + s + s + s. However, since there are four sides of equal length, it simplifies to P = 4s.

This formula effectively captures the concept that to calculate the perimeter, you multiply the length of one side by the number of sides, which is four for a square. Therefore, this understanding confirms why P = 4s is the most concise and correct representation of the perimeter for a square.

In contrast, options referencing the addition of sides or multiplying the side length in a different manner do not correctly reflect how perimeter is derived for a square specifically. The formula that includes both length and width pertains to rectangles, which is not applicable for squares.