Square Decimeter

What Is Square Decimeter?

A square decimeter is a way to measure area. It is the area of a square that is 1 decimeter long and 1 decimeter wide. People use it to describe medium sized flat surfaces.

Definition

A square decimeter is a metric unit of area.

• Side length of the square: 1 decimeter on each side
• Area covered: 1 decimeter × 1 decimeter
• In square meters: 1 square decimeter = 0.01 square meter
• In square centimeters: 1 square decimeter = 100 square centimeters

So if you draw a square where each side is 10 centimeters long, the space inside that square is exactly 1 square decimeter.

History / Origin

The square decimeter comes from the metric system. The metric system was created in France in the late 1700s to make measuring simpler and the same for everyone.

The word deci means one tenth. A decimeter is one tenth of a meter.

• 1 meter is split into 10 equal parts
• Each part is 1 decimeter
• When you make a square with sides of 1 decimeter, you get 1 square decimeter

Symbol & Abbreviation

The usual symbol for a square decimeter is:

• dm² when you can use superscript
• dm2 when you can not use superscript, for example in plain text or some computer systems

The small 2 means the unit is squared, so it measures area, not length.

Current Use Around the World

The square decimeter is part of the metric system, which is used in most countries around the world.

Today it is used for:

• School math and science to help students learn about area
• Small surfaces such as tiles, papers, cloth pieces, or tabletops
• Technical work like engineering drawings, design, and product sizes

For very large areas people usually use square meters or square kilometers. For very small areas people often use square centimeters or square millimeters. The square decimeter sits in the middle.

Example Conversions

Here are some useful facts to remember:

• 1 dm² = 0.01 m²
• 1 dm² = 100 cm²
• 1 dm² = 10 000 mm²
• 1 m² = 100 dm²

Step by step examples

• Example 1: Convert 5 dm² to m²
  5 dm² × 0.01 m² per dm² = 0.05 m²
• Example 2: Convert 3 dm² to cm²
  3 dm² × 100 cm² per dm² = 300 cm²
• Example 3: Convert 2500 cm² to dm²
  2500 cm² ÷ 100 cm² per dm² = 25 dm²

Approximate conversions to non metric units

• 1 dm² ≈ 15.5 square inches
• 1 dm² ≈ 0.1076 square foot

Related Units

These units are close to the square decimeter in the metric system.

• Square millimeter (mm²) very small areas
• Square centimeter (cm²) small areas
• Square decimeter (dm²) medium areas
• Square meter (m²) room size areas and bigger surfaces
• Square kilometer (km²) land areas like cities and fields

Connections between these units:

• 1 dm² = 100 cm²
• 1 dm² = 10 000 mm²
• 1 m² = 100 dm²

FAQs

What is a square decimeter in simple words?
A square decimeter is the area inside a square that is 1 decimeter long and 1 decimeter wide. It is a medium sized area unit in the metric system.

How big is 1 square decimeter compared to 1 square meter?
1 square decimeter is much smaller. It takes 100 square decimeters to make 1 square meter.

How do I write the symbol for square decimeter?
You can write it as dm². If you can not use superscript, you can write dm2 instead.

When would someone use square decimeters?
Square decimeters are useful when the area is too big for square centimeters but too small for square meters, for example tiles, small tables, or pieces of fabric.

How do I change square decimeters to square centimeters?
To convert dm² to cm², multiply by 100. For example, 4 dm² = 4 × 100 = 400 cm².

Is square decimeter part of the SI system?
Yes. It is based on the meter, which is the main SI unit of length. The square decimeter is a derived SI unit used for area.