Find the total number of squares in the given figure.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 26
The figure is a grid of 5 × 3 small squares. A square of side \(k\) small squares can start at \(6-k\) places across and \(4-k\) places down.
1 × 1 squares: \(5\times3=15\)
2 × 2 squares: \(4\times2=8\)
3 × 3 squares: \(3\times1=3\)
Total \(=15+8+3=26\) squares.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) 14 — Incorrect. This uses the count for a square grid of 3 × 3, but the grid is 5 × 3.
Option (2) 23 — Incorrect. This leaves out the 3 3 × 3 squares.
Option (4) 90 — Incorrect. This is the number of all rectangles in the grid; most of them are not squares.