Question 1098496
On the floorplan the building may be a rectangle with a certain length and width.
If it is so, and those length and width measurements, in m, are represented by {{{L}}} and {{{W}}} respectively,
{{{L*W=0.25}}} .
The actual building length and width measurements, in m, are
{{{400L}}} and {{{400W}}} ,
so its surface area in {{{m^2}}} can be calculated as
{{{(400L)*(400W)=400^2*(L*W)=400^2*0.25=400*(400*0.25)=400*100=40000}}} .
I was taught in elementary school, than an are is {{{(10 m)*(10 m)=100m^2}}} ,
and that the prefix "hecto" means {{{100times}}} .
so {{{1 hectare=100ares=10000m^2}}} (about the surface area of a city block),
and {{{40000m^2}}} is {{{highlight(4hectares)}}}
 
But what if the building shape is not a rectangle?
Any 2-D or 3-D shape can be approximated by an arrangement of squares or cubes,
so for any shape that is scaled up or down to get a similar shape
by multiplying all corresponding lengths times a factor {{{k}}} ,
all corresponding surface areas are multiplied times {{{k^2}}} ,
and all corresponding volumes are multiplied times {{{k^3}}} .