Why area is measured in square feet?
And why is volume measured in cubic feet?
length is in ft
area is length * length = ft^2
and so on for higher dimensions.
Volume has 3 measurements - length, width and height that is why we have cubic feet also written as ft^3.
The concept of measuring area in square feet and volume in cubic feet stems from the nature of these two measurements.
1. Area:
Area refers to the amount of space occupied by a two-dimensional object, such as a surface or a plane. It is measured in square units, such as square feet or square meters. Square feet are commonly used in the Imperial system of measurements.
Why square feet? When we measure the area of a shape, we determine how many square units of a specific size can fit inside it. A square, with all sides of equal length, is a simple and standard shape to use for measurement. By measuring the width and length of a surface in linear feet and then multiplying them together, we can determine the area in square feet. This is because multiplying linear measurements yields a two-dimensional measurement, or an area.
2. Volume:
Volume refers to the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object, such as a solid or a container. It is measured in cubic units, such as cubic feet or cubic meters. Cubic feet are commonly used in the Imperial system of measurements.
Why cubic feet? When we measure the volume of a shape, we determine how many cubic units of a specific size can fit inside it. A cube, with all sides of equal length, is a simple and standard shape to use for measurement. By measuring the width, length, and height of an object or container in linear feet and then multiplying them together, we can determine the volume in cubic feet. This is because multiplying linear measurements yields a three-dimensional measurement, or a volume.
In summary, area is measured in square feet because it refers to the two-dimensional space occupied by a surface, while volume is measured in cubic feet because it refers to the three-dimensional space occupied by a solid or container. The use of square units and cubic units allows us to quantify how much space an object or surface occupies in a precise and consistent manner.