A large shape is made up of smaller squares, each with a side length of 1 cm. The shape is 2 cm long and 3 cm wide. What is the perimeter of the large shape?

The length of the large shape is formed by two $1 \text{ cm}$ squares side-by-side.

$$\text{Length} = 1 \text{ cm} + 1 \text{ cm} = 2 \text{ cm}$$

The width of the large shape is formed by three $1 \text{ cm}$ squares stacked vertically.

$$\text{Width} = 1 \text{ cm} + 1 \text{ cm} + 1 \text{ cm} = 3 \text{ cm}$$

Since the length and width are different, the shape is a rectangle, not a square. We will calculate the perimeter of this rectangle.

The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is $P = 2 \times (\text{Length} + \text{Width})$.

$$P = 2 \times (2 \text{ cm} + 3 \text{ cm})$$ $$P = 2 \times (5 \text{ cm})$$ $$P = 10 \text{ cm}$$

The perimeter of the big shape is $\text{10 cm}$.