square

In geometry, a quadrilateral (four-sided) plane figure with all sides equal and each angle a right angle. Its diagonals bisect each other at right angles. The area A of a square is the length l of one side multiplied by itself (A = l × l).

Also, any quantity multiplied by itself is termed a square, represented by an exponent of power 2; for example, 4 × 4 = 4² = 16 and 6.8 × 6.8 = 6.8² = 46.24.

An algebraic term is squared by doubling its exponent and squaring its coefficient if it has one; for example, (x²)² = x⁴ and (6y³)² = 36y⁶. A number that has a whole number as its square root is known as a perfect square; for example, 25, 144, and 54,756 are perfect squares (with roots of 5, 12, and 234, respectively).