However, these larger measurements are typically not used, as the square meter is already a fairly sizeable measurement, and these prefixes would be referring to large areas that are not commonly referenced. Examples of this include the square decameter, square hectometer, and square kilometer. As with other SI units, the standard prefixes can be applied to the square meter to signify decimal multiples. It is most often used to measure land area such as rooms, houses, and large plots of land. The square meter is one of many such units and is derived from the area of a square with sides of one meter.Ĭurrent use: The square meter is the SI unit of area, though it is considered an SI derived unit rather than an SI unit. History/origin: Area is commonly represented in the form of a square with sides of a specific unit of length, written as 'square' followed by the chosen unit of length. s -1, where the second is defined in terms of the cesium frequency, Δ νCs.It is defined as the area of a square with side measures of one meter, where the meter is currently defined as the distance traveled by light in 1/299 792 458 of a second when expressed in the unit m Square meterĭefinition: The square meter, or square metre (symbol: m 2), is an SI (International System of Units) derived unit of area. In these countries, area in real estate, architecture, and of interior spaces is often specified in terms of square footage. It is a measurement derived from the area of a square with a side length measured in feet.Ĭurrent use: The square foot is mainly used in the United States but is also used to some extent in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Hong Kong. History/origin: The origin of the square foot can be seen in the term itself. One square foot equals 144 square inches. It is defined as the area of a square with one-foot sides. Definition: A square foot (symbol: sq ft) is a unit of area used in the imperial and US customary systems (UCS).

Feet in meeter