SOLUTION: If I have a square with an area = .5"^2 and I want to know the length of the side, I would normally use Sqrt(.5) to obtain the side length. For numbers >=1, this works and makes s
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-> SOLUTION: If I have a square with an area = .5"^2 and I want to know the length of the side, I would normally use Sqrt(.5) to obtain the side length. For numbers >=1, this works and makes s
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Question 412086: If I have a square with an area = .5"^2 and I want to know the length of the side, I would normally use Sqrt(.5) to obtain the side length. For numbers >=1, this works and makes sense. With numbers <1, the math works, but does not make sense. Sqrt(.5)= .71. The sides of the square are larger than the area of the square. If i convert the area to CM's, everything works as expected (this creates numbers >=1). If my area = 4"^2, then sqrt (4) = 2" length of side. This makes sense.
How do I correctly calculate the side of a square when the area of that square is less than 1? Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
Just because the number is larger doesn't mean anything. You are comparing apples to oranges. The sides are linear units and the area is in square units.
Consider a square that is one unit on a side. The area of such a square would be one square unit. Now consider a square that is 1/2 unit on a side. Then the area of that smaller square would be 1/2 times 1/2 = 1/4 square unit. But if you draw yourself a picture of the situation, you will see that this makes perfectly good sense.
John
My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it
