Answer:
Let the measure of each side of the square be " x " cm.
then ,
area of square = x²
After we folded the square into a rectangle ,
length of rectangle = x
breadth of rectangle = x/2
perimeter of rectangle = 36 cm
[tex]x + \frac{x}{2} + x + \frac{x}{2} = 36 \\ \\ \frac{2x + x + 2x + x}{2} = 36 \\ \\ \frac{6x}{2} = 36 \\ \\ 6x = 36 \times 2 \\ \\ 6x = 72 \\ \\ 6x = \cancel{\frac{72}{6} } = 12cm[/tex]
hence ,
side of square = 12 cm
therefore ,
area of square = 12 × 12 = 144 cm²
hope helpful~