1. **State the problem:** We are given the area of one face of a cube as 16 cm² and need to find the total surface area of the cube. 2. **Formula and rules:** The area of one face of a cube is given by $s^2$ where $s$ is the side length. The total surface area of a cube is $6s^2$ because a cube has 6 equal square faces. 3. **Find the side length:** Given one face area $= 16$, so $$s^2 = 16$$ Taking the square root, $$s = \sqrt{16} = 4$$ 4. **Calculate total surface area:** $$\text{Total surface area} = 6s^2 = 6 \times 16 = 96$$ 5. **Answer:** The total surface area of the cube is **96 cm²**.