Area of a Square – Formula and Example

Area of a Square Formula with Example

This page provides the area of a square formula, with an example for you to study.

Area of Square Formula

Many entrance exams will ask you to solve problems on the area of a square. 

In the formula below, L is the length of the side and A is the area. 

The formula for the area of a square is:  L2 = A

Area of a Square – Quiz

Now try the quiz below:

[WpProQuiz 34]

Avoiding Common Mistakes

You will remember that a square has four sides that are equal in length.

You should be careful not to use the formula for the perimeter of a square if you really want to calculate the area instead.

Calculating Square Footage

You may be asked to determine square footage on your exam.

Exam problems on square footage may involve squares, rectangles, or hybrid shapes.

The formula for square footage is:

L × W = square footage

L is the length of the space and W is the width.

The result will be expressed in square feet.

Width Equals Length

Of course, for problems involving squares, the length and width will be equal.

Perimeter and other concepts

You may want to have a look at our post on the perimeter of a square after completing the exercises on this page.

For example, consider the following sample question:

A square room measures three feet by three feet. What is the square footage of this room?

The answer is 9 square feet.

To solve, use the formula above:

L2 = A

32 = 9 square feet

You can see the answer more clearly by looking at the following diagrams:

This small square measures 1 foot long and 1 foot wide:

Area of a square - small square

The large square below is 3 feet wide and 3 feet long.

We can fit nine of these small squares inside the large square.

Area of a square with square feet

So, the large square is 9 square feet.

You may also want to look at our other geometry exam problems.

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