If a square parcel has an area of 16 square miles, the length of each side is

If a square parcel has an area of 16 square miles, the length of each side is

• A. 4 miles
• B. 8 miles
• C. 2 miles
• D. 16 miles

Answer: (A)

For a square, the area equals the side length squared, so the side length is the square root of the area. With an area of 16 square miles, the side length is sqrt(16) = 4 miles. This checks out because 4 miles on each side gives 4 × 4 = 16 square miles. If the side were 8 miles, the area would be 64; if 2 miles, the area would be 4; if 16 miles, the area would be 256. Therefore, the length is 4 miles.

For a square, the area equals the side length squared, so the side length is the square root of the area. With an area of 16 square miles, the side length is sqrt(16) = 4 miles. This checks out because 4 miles on each side gives 4 × 4 = 16 square miles. If the side were 8 miles, the area would be 64; if 2 miles, the area would be 4; if 16 miles, the area would be 256. Therefore, the length is 4 miles.