We are given a figure made up of several squares, and we need to determine the area of the shaded region. Let's break this down step-by-step:

Understanding the Layout

1. There are three squares visible, and the quadrilaterals in the figure are squares.
2. The largest square has a side length of 6 units.
3. The smallest square has a side length of 4 units, as indicated by the vertical side on the right.

Steps to Find the Shaded Region's Area:

• The shaded region is part of the smallest square.
• The total area of the largest square is $6 \times 6 = 36$ square units.
• The area of the smallest square is $4 \times 4 = 16$ square units.
• To determine the area of the shaded portion, notice that it consists of part of the smallest square that lies below the middle square.

Middle Square Side Length:

• The middle square must fit exactly between the largest square and smallest square, and its side length will be $6 - 4 = 2$ units.
• The area of the middle square is $2 \times 2 = 4$ square units.

Shaded Area:

• The shaded region corresponds to the portion of the smallest square that is not overlapped by the middle square.
• The remaining area of the smallest square is the shaded part: $16 - 4 = 12 \text{ square units}.$

Thus, the area of the shaded region is 12 square units.

Let me know if you'd like further clarification or have any additional questions!

Here are 5 related questions to consider:

1. What is the total area of all the squares combined?
2. How would the area change if the largest square's side length were increased by 2 units?
3. Can you find the perimeter of the shaded region?
4. What percentage of the largest square's area is shaded?
5. How would the problem change if the side length of the smallest square were halved?

Tip: When dealing with composite shapes, break them down into smaller known shapes (like squares and rectangles) to simplify area calculations.