Failing at basic maths

Am I the only one that reads "4m2" as "two meters squared"?

Surely that's the very definition of the mathematical symbols.

Google even agrees with me...
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A 2m by 2m area on the ground is 4m2 (four meters squared).

Everyone else that says anything else is just wrong :)

Whoever talks about square meters is just asking to be confused in my opinion!
 
memyselfandi said:
No

by your own definition

1 metre squared is 1 metre x 1 metre

so 2 metres squared is a square with a side length of 2 metres.
i.e. 2 metres squared is 2 metres x 2 metres = 4 square metres.

2 square meters is 2x ( 1 metre x 1 metre) or an area approximately 1.41m x 1.41m

ref
A square metre is not the same as a metre square an area 2 metres wide by 5 metres long would be 10 square metres. In contrast, a 10-metre square (10 metres by 10 metres) is actually 100 square metres
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I'm confusing myself now.

Essentially I'm saying a square metre is any shape whose contents covers the area of 1000 1xCM*1CM squares.

Whereas a metre squared, is a square that is made up of 10,000 1CM*1CM squares, 100 rows of 100 squares.

Elixir said:
:confused:

Do you mean 2 square meters?
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Yes I do. I've been talking about square metres, and metres squared way too much today, that the words have lost meaning and I'm struggling to keep up with myself. :p
 
The ambiguity here is palpable.

If it is 0.5 m^2, it is not likely a square.

If it is 0.5 m x 0.5 m, it will be 0.25 m^2, it is a square tile.

So it is or is isnt it?
 
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The problem with this is people using the wrong words to describe things.

m² is square metres, not metres squared!

A shape 3m x 3m can be represented by saying 3 metres squared, or by saying 9m² (9 square metres).

Pretty certain you have it backwards in your latest post spoffle.
 
spoffle said:
Essentially I'm saying a square metre is any shape whose contents covers the area of 1000 1xCM*1CM squares.

Whereas a metre squared, is a square that is made up of 10,000 1CM*1CM squares, 100 rows of 100 squares.
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these threads often turn into the whole 'square meters' vs 'meters squared'

they should mean the same thing, but really people should only use 'square meters' as it avoids confusion/ambiguity

sometimes people, might use 'meters squared' in the way you've described... it is a bit odd though


people familiar with SI units generally shouldn't have an issue with either - 'meters squared' simply referring to the unit m^2

either way tis best to just stick to 'square meters' as 'meters squared' is interpreted differently by different people





(edit you've got things rather confused with your calculations though - when you're talking about 1 'meters squared' then it is the same whichever meaning you are using... and that is 10,000 cm^2)
 
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Zefan said:
The problem with this is people using the wrong words to describe things.

m² is square metres, not metres squared!

A shape 3m x 3m can be represented by saying 3 metres squared, or by saying 9m².
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What?

I clearly see the m (metres) and then ^2 (squared).

Its not ^2m :D
 
Zefan said:
The problem with this is people using the wrong words to describe things.

m² is square metres, not metres squared!

A shape 3m x 3m can be represented by saying 3 metres squared, or by saying 9m² (9 square metres).

Pretty certain you have it backwards in your latest post spoffle.
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It can be either

3 meters squared can mean either (3m)^2 or 3(m^2)

3 square meters only means 3(m^2)
 
That may be what you see but that isn't how it works in terms of calculating and representing area mathematically and verbally. "Square metres" (m²) is a representation of area in metres. "Metres squared" is a description of a square, and the length of its edges. This is pretty fundamental GCSE stuff I thought :p
 
It's funny that this came up, as I've been dealing with product labelling and CLP compliance recently, that states warning/toxic symbols have to be 1CM², and it's causing some confusion.

There are even councils putting out guidelines on these symbols having to be 1CM*1CM to be compliant. Which is ridiculous because the actual product labels are only about 6cm*3cm and there needs to be 3-4 of these symbols on them. :p
 
Whatever, if the tiles are 500mm in length, you need circa >132 tiles, if they are indeed somehow 707mm, then you need >66 tiles.

Toss a coin? :)
 
Zefan said:
That may be what you see but that isn't how it works in terms of calculating and representing area mathematically and verbally. "Square metres" (m²) is a representation of area in metres. "Metres squared" is a description of a square, and the length of its edges. This is pretty fundamental GCSE stuff I thought :p
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well you thought wrongly :)

'meters squared' is ambiguous

'square meters' isn't ambiguous


you think you're correct in your interpretation of 'meters squared', some other people think they're correct in theirs... in reality it is ambiguous and the correct unit is 'square meters':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_metre
 
no it is just an article about the square meter, it doesn't mention 'meters squared' which is ambiguous - you're claiming 'meters squared' has a specific unambiguous meaning and we don't agree on that

A shape 3m x 3m can be represented by saying 3 metres squared, or by saying 9m²
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saying '3 meters squared' can also mean 3m² to some

meters squared can be interpreted as either the unit 'square meters' or as per your description of a square and the length of its sides
 
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dowie said:
no it is just an article about the square meter, it doesn't mention 'meters squared' which is ambiguous - you're claiming 'meters squared' has a specific unambiguous meaning and we don't agree on that
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http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_metre

A square metre is not the same as a metre square,[2] an area 2 metres wide by 5 metres long would be 10 square metres. In contrast, a 10-metre square (10 metres by 10 metres) is actually 100 square metres.
Click to expand...

http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/58423.html



saying '3 meters squared' can also mean 3m² to some
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Some people say "would have", or think that they can say anything they want under the guise of it being their opinion and it becomes protected. :p
 
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