What is the area of a square that measures 3.1m on each side?
A.
12.4m2
B.
9.61m2
C.
6.2m2
D.
9.1m2
The Correct answer and Explanation is:
To determine the area of a square, you can use the formula:
Area=side2\text{Area} = \text{side}^2Area=side2
Given that the side of the square is 3.1 meters, the calculation would be:
Area=3.1 m×3.1 m\text{Area} = 3.1 \, \text{m} \times 3.1 \, \text{m}Area=3.1m×3.1m
Area=9.61 m2\text{Area} = 9.61 \, \text{m}^2Area=9.61m2
The correct answer is:
B. 9.61 m²
Explanation:
The area of a square is calculated by squaring the length of one of its sides. The concept behind this is that a square is a two-dimensional shape with four equal sides, and its area is the amount of space enclosed within its perimeter. In other words, the area tells us how much surface the square covers.
In this scenario, the side length of the square is provided as 3.1 meters. By applying the formula for the area of a square (Area=side×side\text{Area} = \text{side} \times \text{side}Area=side×side or Area=side2\text{Area} = \text{side}^2Area=side2), we find that the area is 3.1 meters multiplied by 3.1 meters. The multiplication results in 9.61 square meters.
Each option in the multiple-choice question represents a common mistake that could occur during such a calculation:
- Option A (12.4 m²) might result from mistakenly multiplying the side by 4 instead of squaring it, confusing the calculation with perimeter.
- Option C (6.2 m²) could arise from multiplying the side by 2, again mistaking it for some other formula.
- Option D (9.1 m²) might be a simple calculation error.
Understanding the formula and correctly applying it is crucial for avoiding such errors. Calculating the area accurately is essential in many real-world applications, including construction, interior design, and even healthcare settings where space planning is required.