Square of 1
1 squared equals 1. Squares appear in area calculations, the Pythagorean theorem, and statistics (variance uses squared distances).
Squares obey quiet rules. Divided by 9, a square only ever leaves 0, 1, 4 or 7 — 1 here. On the last digit, squares end only in 0, 1, 4, 5, 6 or 9, and 1 fits. Between its neighbors, 0 sits 1 below and 4 sits 3 above — the square ladder widens by exactly two at every step. An odd base keeps the square odd: 1 ends in an odd digit, as every odd square must. Two anchors most worth memorizing in this range are 12² = 144 and 15² = 225 — the odd-step rule above is why knowing them pays off, because from any anchor the next square is one step along this page's ladder.
| Expression | Value |
|---|---|
| 1² | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
What is 1 squared?
1 squared is 1, because 1 × 1 = 1. The exponent 2 is why it is written 1².
What is 2 squared, next to 1²?
2² = 4, which is 3 more than 1² = 1. Each step up adds double the base plus one.
Where do squares show up in real problems?
Area of a square with side 1, distance in the Pythagorean theorem, and variance in statistics all use squared values.