We explain what a square meter is and how it is calculated. Also, what are the equivalent measurements in other units.
What is a square meter?
The square meter is the basic unit of measurement of surfaces in the International System of Measurement Units (SI). It is represented by the symbol m2 and is defined as the area within a square whose sides measure exactly one meter.
In general, the square meter is a unit equivalent to the meter, but used to measure entire areas of flat spaces, instead of simple distances. For this reason, it is very common to use it in architecture, engineering and geography. You must read about Meme (Internet) once.
In fact, just like with the meter, it is possible to obtain a whole series of multiples or submultiples whose names are formed by prefixing the square meter with different prefixes from the International System: square decameters (102 square meters), square centimeters (10-4 square meters), square kilometers (106 square meters), among others.
Calculating the square meters of a space or even an object is useful when determining whether an object fits in a given space, or how much material we will need to cover or fill a space. Hence, this unit is used to express the size of buildings, that is, houses, land and apartments, since it indicates how much available surface they have.
How to calculate square meters?
To calculate the square meters of a surface we must measure and multiply the length and width of the space, and if necessary, translate the measurement into square meters.
To do this, you can follow these steps:
- Measure the dimensions of the surface: Using a measuring tape or some other instrument, measure the length and width of the surface and express it in its corresponding length unit: meters, kilometers or centimeters are the most common. For example, the surface of a room can be 3 meters long by 2 meters wide.
- Apply the calculation formula: This formula is M2 = width x length, meaning that the room in the example consists of 3 x 2 square meters, or 6 m2 of total area. This means that six imaginary one-meter squares would fit on its surface, if they were placed side by side to fill the space.
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Equivalent measurements in other units
One square meter (1 m2) is equivalent to:
- 1,000 square millimeters (mm2), that is, 0.001 m2 makes 1 mm2.
- 100 square centimeters (cm2), that is, 0.01 m2 makes 1 cm2.
- 0.001 square kilometers (km2), that is, 1000 m2 makes 1 km2.
- 0.0001 hectares (ha), that is, 10,000 m2 makes 1 ha.
Equivalences with the Anglo-Saxon system of measurements:
- 10.7639 square feet (ft2).
- 1.19599 square yards (yd2).
- 1550.003 square inches (in2).
