The problem involves calculating the total number of blocks in a stacked arrangement, which resembles a pyramid-like structure.

Each layer of this arrangement contains a different number of blocks, forming a series of square layers stacked on top of each other.

To solve this:

1. The bottom-most layer has $4 \times 4 = 16$ blocks.
2. The second layer has $3 \times 3 = 9$ blocks.
3. The third layer has $2 \times 2 = 4$ blocks.
4. The top-most layer has $1 \times 1 = 1$ block.

Now, sum the number of blocks in all the layers:

$16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 30$

Thus, the total number of blocks is $30$, which corresponds to option D.

Would you like more details, or do you have any further questions?

5 Related Questions:

1. How do you calculate the total number of blocks in a triangular arrangement?
2. Can this stacking pattern be extended to more layers? How would you find the total blocks?
3. How do patterns of stacking blocks change for 3D pyramid structures?
4. What is the general formula for summing the number of blocks in this kind of structure?
5. How does this problem connect to arithmetic series?

Tip:

For stacked shapes or pyramid-like problems, look for patterns or sequences in how the layers are structured (e.g., squares, triangles) to simplify the counting process.