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Question Can you make other shaped figures for each of the above three perimeters, or is there only one shape with that perimeter? What is your reasoning?
Smallest Perimeter (12 units): Only the 3 × 3 square achieves this.
Largest Perimeter (20 units): Only the straight line achieves this or any pattern made by folding two straight lines.
Perimeter of 18 units: Multiple shapes can achieve this. For example, a T-shaped figure or other L-shaped configurations.
The reasoning is based on the arrangement of the unit squares and the number of exposed edges. The more compact the shape, the smaller the perimeter; the more elongated, the larger the perimeter. For intermediate perimeters like 18 units, various configurations can be created by adjusting the arrangement of the squares.