When a figure is enlarged using a scale factor, the area of the enlarged figure is affected by the square of the scale factor.
If the original area is \( A \) and the scale factor is \( k \), the area of the enlarged figure will be:
\[ \text{New Area} = A \times k^2 \]
In this case:
- The original area \( A = 18 \) square inches
- The scale factor \( k = 2 \)
Now, calculate the new area:
\[ \text{New Area} = 18 \times 2^2 = 18 \times 4 = 72 \]
Thus, the area of the enlarged figure is 72 square inches.