1. **State the problem:** We need to find the surface area of a cube with each edge measuring 7 cm. 2. **Formula for surface area of a cube:** The surface area (SA) of a cube is given by $$SA = 6a^2$$ where $a$ is the length of one edge of the cube. 3. **Find the area of one side:** Since each side is a square with side length 7 cm, $$\text{Area of one side} = a^2 = 7^2 = 49 \text{ cm}^2$$ 4. **Calculate total surface area:** Using the formula, $$SA = 6 \times 49 = 294 \text{ cm}^2$$ 5. **Answer:** The area of one side is $49$ cm$^2$ and the total surface area of the cube is $294$ cm$^2$.