How many sqare centimeters are in 1 sqare meter?

Answer 1

Geometrically, 1 square meter (1 m2) is not a simple straight line. It is a 1 m x 1 m square. Each "dimension" (the value of the exponent) must be accounted for:

1 m = (100 cm)1 = 100 cm

1 m^2 = (100 cm)2 = 10,000 cm2

The exponent distributes over both the unit and quantity. Keep this in mind when converting between units of dimensions (exponents) greater than 1.