Square of 2
2 squared equals 4. 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 — 4 here. On the last digit, squares end only in 0, 1, 4, 5, 6 or 9, and 4 fits. Between its neighbors, 1 sits 3 below and 9 sits 5 above — the square ladder widens by exactly two at every step. Double the base and the square quadruples: 4² = 16, which is 4 × 4. 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 |
|---|---|
| 2² | 4 |
Frequently asked questions
What is 2 squared?
2 squared is 4, because 2 × 2 = 4. The exponent 2 is why it is written 2².
What is 3 squared, next to 2²?
3² = 9, which is 5 more than 2² = 4. Each step up adds double the base plus one.
Where do squares show up in real problems?
Area of a square with side 2, distance in the Pythagorean theorem, and variance in statistics all use squared values.