Units of Area

Freddie and Zuri are starting an online business making blankets for all animals; no matter their size! To help understand the order requests that come in, they need to learn about units of area. As you might already know, area is the amount of space that is taken up by a flat, two dimensional object. Area is always measured in square units. When we want to calculate area, we can sometimes count the unit squares inside of a flat, two dimensional shape. The total number of squares is the area, which we state with square units. If we can just count the squares inside of a flat, two dimensional shape, why do we need units of area? Well, a unit of area tells you how small or large something actually is! There are different types of units of area. There are small units of area, which we use for small spaces, and there are larger units of area, which we use for medium and large spaces. But, there are also units of area that we use for very large spaces. The units of area we use for small spaces are square millimeters, square centimeters, and square inches. Units of area we use for medium and large spaces are square feet, square yards, and square meters. And if you have really large spaces, the units of area you can use are square kilometers, and square miles. You might have noticed that we have the short form of each measurement here. But what is this special number two that we see here? The two tells us that the measurement is squared; the number of squares that cover the whole area! Now you might be wondering; but why do I need to know all these different units of area? Knowing the different units of area can help you understand the size of an area, or help you to choose the best unit of area for specific measurements. For example, if Zuri and Freddie made a blanket for a hamster, we would probably use square inches, or square centimeters, to measure the fabric needed. If Freddie and Zuri made a blanket for a blue whale, which units of area might be used? You might use square yards or square meters since a blue whale would need a large blanket! While Freddie and Zuri begin making the blankets for their customers, let's review. Remember, area is always measured in square units. You can use units of area for small spaces, medium and large spaces, and also really large spaces! "Look! We have some reviews!" "And we covered all sizes of animals too!"