Question 214886
what relationship does the number four have to the quadratic equation?
<pre><font size = 4 color = "indigo"><b>
A square is a polygon that looks like this.
{{{drawing(100,100,-1.2,1.2,-1.2,1.2,
rectangle(-1,-1,1,1),locate(0,-1,s) )}}}

It has FOUR equal sides and a right angle at each corner.
To find the area of a square, we raise the length of a 
side {{{s}}}, to the 2nd power, i.e., {{{Area=s^2}}}

The practice of finding the area of a square became
known as "squaring".  Thus the practice of raising a number 
to the second power became to be known as "squaring".

A quadratic equation has as its largest power of a variable
the 2nd power.

There is a similar story about cubes and cubic equations.

A cube is a solid figure that looks like this:

{{{drawing(100,100,-1.7,1.7,-1.7,1.7,
rectangle(-1,-1,1,1), 

line(-1.6,-1.6,-1,-1),line(.4,.4,1,1),
line(1,-1,1-.6,-1-.6), line(-1-.6,1-.6,-1,1),
rectangle(-1.6,-1.6,1-.6,1-.6),locate(-.4,-1.5,s) )}}} 

To find the volume of a cube, we raise the length of a 
side {{{s}}}, (actually it's called an "edge") to the 
3rd power, i.e., {{{Volume=s^3}}}

The practice of finding the volume of a cube became
known as "cubing".  Thus the practice of raising a number 
to the third power became to be known as "cubing".

A cubic equation has as its largest power of a variable
the 3rd power.

Edwin</pre>