Square units: 1 m² is 10,000 cm²
You learn to convert square units, like m² to cm²: a square metre is 100 cm by 100 cm.
How to work it out
- Check whether there is a ² next to the unit.
- A square metre is 100 cm long and 100 cm wide, so it is 100 × 100 = 10,000 cm².
- To cm², multiply by 10,000.
- To m², divide by 10,000.
A worked example
3 m² = ? cm²
- 1 m² = 10,000 cm².
- Multiply by 10,000: 3 × 10,000 = 30,000.
- It is 30,000 cm².
Another example
20,000 cm² = ? m²
- You go to the bigger unit, so divide by 10,000: 20,000 ÷ 10,000 = 2.
- It is 2 m².
Try it yourself
From square metre to square centimetre
3 m² = ? cm²
From square centimetre to square metre
20000 cm² = ? m²
Watch out
You multiply by 100, as with 1 m = 100 cm: 2 m² becomes 200 cm².
With square units you need the length and the width: 100 × 100 = 10,000.
Tips
- Write the ² next to it: an area is always in square units.
Why it works
Square units measure a flat surface. A square that is 1 m on each side is also 100 cm on each side, so it covers 100 × 100 = 10,000 small squares of 1 cm².