Surface area is the total area that the surface of a three-dimensional object occupies. It is measured in square units, such as square meters or square centimeters. Different shapes have different formulas to calculate their surface area. For example, the surface area of a cube can be found by multiplying the area of one face by six, since a cube has six identical faces. Understanding surface area is important in various fields, including architecture, engineering, and packaging. It helps in determining how much material is needed to cover an object or how much space is available for a specific purpose.