An equilateral triangle has a side of length 12 inches. What is the area of the triangle, in square inches? Express your answer in simplest radical form.
The area of an equilateral triangle with side length $s$ is $s^2\sqrt{3}/4$. We have $s = 12$, so our area is $12^2\sqrt{3}/4 = \boxed{36\sqrt{3}}$.