SOLUTION: Why do we use the exponent of 2 when finding area?

Question 219479: Why do we use the exponent of 2 when finding area?
Answer by Theo(13342) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
we don't always use the exponent of 2.
only with some object do we use it.
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there are different formulas used depending on the object.
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area of a square = s^2
exponent of 2 is used here.
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area of rectangle is l*w
exponent of 2 is not used here.
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area of circle is pi*r^2
exponent of 2 is used here.
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area of triangle is 1/x*b*h
exponent of 2 is not used here.
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what is really being used is length times width in some form or other.
the result is in square units.
each object has it's own unique formula to derive length times width.
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it's easy to see with the square and the rectangle and the triangle.
it's not so easy to see with the circle, but the derivation of the formula for the circle use the concept of length * width as well.
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bottom line is that the exponent of 2 is used in deriving the area of objects only in those cases where the length and the width are the same. The main concept involved in deriving the area of something is length times width.
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