What Is Are?
An are is a metric unit used to measure area. It is mainly used for land, like gardens, small fields, or pieces of farmland. One are is the same size everywhere in the world, so it helps people compare land fairly and clearly.
Definition
An are is a unit for measuring area in the metric system.
- 1 are = 100 square meters
- Shape does not matter, it can be any shape as long as the area is 100 square meters
If you imagine a square that is 10 meters long and 10 meters wide, the area of that square is:
10 meters × 10 meters = 100 square meters, which is 1 are.
History / Origin
The are was created in France in the late 1700s when the metric system was first made. People needed a clear and simple way to measure land, so they chose the square meter as the basic area unit and then built bigger units from it.
The are became a standard metric land unit. Later, a larger land unit called the hectare was made. One hectare is equal to 100 ares. In the 1900s, scientists decided to use the square meter as the main official unit for area. Because of this, the are slowly became less common in science and engineering, but people still used it for land, especially together with the hectare.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The are has a short symbol and common forms:
- Symbol: a
- Unit name: are
- Plural: ares
So you can write:
- 1 a = 1 are
- 25 a = 25 ares
Current Use Around the World
Today, the square meter is the main official metric unit for area. Even so, the are is still used in some places and fields.
You may see the are used:
- In land and farm measurements in some European countries
- With the hectare, since 1 hectare = 100 ares
- In property papers, land sale ads, and local land rules
- In some countries in Asia, such as Indonesia, for small land plots
In everyday life, many people talk mostly about square meters for small areas and hectares or acres for big pieces of land. The are sits in between these sizes and helps connect them.
Example Conversions
Here are some useful conversions for the are.
Between are and square meters
- 1 are = 100 square meters
- 5 ares = 5 × 100 = 500 square meters
- 0.5 are = 0.5 × 100 = 50 square meters
Between are and hectare
- 1 hectare = 100 ares
- 1 are = 0.01 hectare
- 50 ares = 50 × 0.01 = 0.5 hectare
Between are and acres (rounded)
- 1 are ≈ 0.0247 acre
- 10 ares ≈ 0.247 acre (about one quarter of an acre)
- 40 ares ≈ 0.988 acre (almost 1 acre)
Between are and square feet (rounded)
- 1 square meter ≈ 10.764 square feet
- 1 are = 100 square meters ≈ 1 076 square feet
- 3 ares ≈ 3 228 square feet
Related Units
The are is part of a family of area units. Here are some related ones:
- Square meter (m²) the main metric unit for area. 1 are = 100 m².
- Centiare (ca) 1 centiare = 1 m². It is an old term, not used much now.
- Decare (daa) 1 decare = 10 ares = 1 000 m². Used in some countries for land.
- Hectare (ha) 1 hectare = 100 ares = 10 000 m². Very common for farms and forests.
- Acre A non metric unit used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and some other places. 1 acre ≈ 40.47 ares.
FAQs
What is 1 are in square meters?
1 are is equal to exactly 100 square meters. You can think of it as a square that is 10 meters by 10 meters.
Is the are still used today?
The are is not used much in science or engineering, but it is still used for land in some countries, often together with the hectare.
What is the difference between an are and a hectare?
An are is smaller. One hectare is 100 ares. So if you know the number of ares, divide by 100 to get hectares.
How do I change ares to acres?
To change ares to acres, multiply the number of ares by about 0.0247. For example, 20 ares × 0.0247 ≈ 0.494 acre.
Why is the are not an official SI unit?
The modern SI system uses the square meter as the main unit for area to keep things simple. The are is based on the square meter, but it is not in the main SI list anymore.
When should I use ares instead of square meters?
You can use square meters for small areas, like rooms. Ares are helpful when the area is bigger than a normal house lot but smaller than large farmland, such as gardens or small fields.
