8. (10 points) Two squares are placed as shown in the figure, with each triangle in the figure being an isosceles right triangle. If the side length of the smaller square is 12 cm, then the area of the larger square is $\qquad$ square centimeters.
8. (10 points) Two squares are placed as shown in the figure, where each triangle is an isosceles right triangle. If the side length of the smaller square is 12 cm, then the area of the larger square is $\qquad$ square centimeters.

【Solution】Solution: According to the analysis, the entire part is divided into figures of the same size as the smallest isosceles right triangle, as shown in the figure:
The larger square is divided into 18 parts, and the smaller square is divided into 16 parts,
$\therefore$ The area of the larger square $=12 \times 12 \div 16 \times 18=162$ (square centimeters).
Therefore, the answer is: 162.