What is the formula for calculating the surface area of a cube?

The formula for calculating the surface area of a cube is indeed derived from understanding that a cube has six identical square faces. Each face of the cube has an area calculated by the formula for the area of a square, which is side length squared (s^2). Since there are six of these square faces, you multiply the area of one face (s^2) by the number of faces (6). Thus, the complete formula for the surface area of a cube becomes 6s^2.

Using this understanding, it is clear why this formula accurately represents the surface area: it accounts for all six sides and their contribution to the overall surface area of the cube. As a result, option B, which expresses this calculation as 6s^2, is the correct choice.