The square centimeter is perfect for measuring the area of smaller objects like this rectangle. If we imagine lines inside the rectangle that show each square centimeter, the area would be very easy to calculate. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12. There are 12 square within the rectangle.

What is cm2 used to measure?

Square centimeters (cm2) is a unit of area, not unlike square inches. Finding the area of a shape or object in square centimeters is a two-step project. First, you measure parts of a shape, then use the appropriate equation to calculate the area of the shape in square centimeters.

Why do we use cm2?

Area is measured in square units, e.g. 5 square centimetres, or 5 cm2 . The 2 stands for 'squared'. An easy way to remember this symbol is to think 2 means length x width (2 dimensions squared). A rectangle is a shape with four right angles and four sides.