If each side of a cube is a, then its lateral surface area is ………. Sq. units.

Answer

To find the lateral surface area of a cube with each side of length \( a \), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Cube Structure**:
A cube has 6 faces, and all faces are squares. Each side of the cube is of equal length \( a \).

**Hint**: Remember that a cube has equal sides and that each face is a square.

2. **Identify the Lateral Faces**:
The lateral surface area refers to the area of the vertical faces of the cube. In a cube, there are 4 vertical faces.

**Hint**: Lateral faces are the sides of the cube, excluding the top and bottom faces.

3. **Calculate the Area of One Lateral Face**:
The area of one square face of the cube is given by the formula:
\[ \text{Area of one face} = a^2 \]

**Hint**: The area of a square is calculated as the side length squared.

4. **Calculate the Total Lateral Surface Area**:
Since there are 4 identical lateral faces, the total lateral surface area (LSA) can be calculated by multiplying the area of one face by 4:
\[ \text{Lateral Surface Area (LSA)} = 4 \times a^2 = 4a^2 \]

**Hint**: Multiply the area of one face by the number of lateral faces to get the total lateral surface area.

### Final Answer:
The lateral surface area of the cube is \( 4a^2 \) square units.