Surface area refers to the measurement of the total area that covers the surface of an object or shape. It is commonly used in various fields such as mathematics, physics, engineering, and chemistry to calculate the amount of material required for an object or the rate at which heat is transferred between two surfaces. Calculating the surface area involves determining the areas of all the exposed surfaces of the object and adding them together. The concept of surface area is essential in many real-world applications, including construction, manufacturing, and scientific research.