How to Convert Square Meters To Square Feet and Vice versa

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 08:07

Almost every country in the world uses the metric system in measurement, for example square meters to measure area. However, the United States, as an exception, uses square feet to measure the area of a kitchen or yard, for example. Both measures can be easily converted when multiplied by the right conversion factor.

Step

Method 1 of 2: Converting Between Square Meters and Square Feet

Step 1. Multiply square meters by 10, 76

One square meter (m²) is approximately equal to 10.76 square feet (ft²). To convert m² be ft², multiply the square meter size by 10, 76. For example:

• 5 square meters

  = 5 m² x 10, 76 ^ft2/_m²

  = 5 x 10.76 ft²

  = 53.8 ft²

• Note that the unit m² the numerator and denominator can be crossed out, leaving ft² on final answer: 5 m² x 10, 76 ^ft2/_m²

Step 2. Multiply square meters by 0.093

One square foot is approximately equal to 0.093 square meters. To convert square feet to square meters, simply multiply by 0.093:

• 400 square feet

  = 400 ft² x 0.093 ^m2/_ft²

  = 37, 2 square meters.

Step 3. Understand the meaning of this process

Square meters and square feet are two ways to measure the same thing: area. If you cut out a square of paper whose sides are one meter long, the area is one square meter. In the same way, a square of paper whose sides are one foot long, the area is one square foot. The conversion "1 square meter = 10.76 square feet" means that 10.76 "one square feet" of paper can fit into one square meter of paper.

If you have a hard time imagining decimal values, imagine 10 square feet of paper in a square meter, leaving a little space left. The remaining space is 0.76 square feet

Step 4. Check if your answer makes sense

We can accidentally use the wrong formula, especially when doing a lot of conversions. After getting the answer, compare it with the original size and check if you made a mistake:

• If you convert square feet to square meters, the answer must be less than the original number.
• If you convert square meters to square feet, the answer must be greater than the original number.

Step 5. Check with an online calculator

These numbers aren't easy to memorize, but you can look them up online if you forget. You even just need to type in English words like " convert 8 square meters to square feet " in a search engine to get the answer directly.

This way you can get more accurate results than calculating them manually, because they use more accurate numbers. (For example, 1 square foot = 0.092903 square meters, or 1 square meter = 10.7639 square feet.) However, hand-counting is generally a "close enough" answer

Method 2 of 2: Converting By Length

Step 1. Remember that length is not the same as area

One of the most common mistakes is confusion between units of length (meters or feet) and units of area (square meters or square feet). They are two different units and have different conversion formulas. If you're confused about which one to use, remember it like this:

• Length is a "one-dimensional" unit because it has only one measure: use a ruler and you get the size right away.
• Area uses "two-dimensional" units because you have to measure twice. For example, a square has length and width, and we have to multiply them to get the area.

Step 2. Learn to convert feet to meters

If you measure length in feet, you can only convert it to meters. (You can't convert it to square meters, which is a unit of area). To convert feet to meters, multiply the measurement in feet by 0.305.

For example a snake that is 2 feet long is (2 ft) x (0.305 m/ft) = 0.61 meters in length

Step 3. Convert meters to feet

To convert the reciprocal, multiply the measure in meters by 3.28:

A wall 4 meters high is (4 m) x (3.28 ft/m) = 13.12 feet high

Step 4. Convert square meters by multiplying the length conversion factor twice

The length and area conversions are actually not made any different to confuse you. Just as we multiply two units of length to get the area, we can multiply the length conversion factor by itself to get the area conversion factor. Follow this example:

• Say you want to convert one square meter to a square foot. You don't remember the area conversion factor, but you do remember the length conversion factor: 1 meter = 0.305 feet.
• Draw a square and mark both sides with 1 meter.
• Since 1 meter = 0.305 feet, you can cross them out and replace them with "0. 305 feet".
• To find the area of this square, multiply both sides: 0.305 ft x 0.305 ft = 0.093 ft².
• Note that this number equals the area conversion factor: 1 square meter = 0.093 square feet.

Tips

See that these two conversion factors have a relationship with each other (1 m² = 10.76 ft² and 1 ft² = 0.093 m²) It turns out that each number is the reciprocal of the other, meaning 1/10.76 = 0.093. That is, you can get the same result if you convert square meters to square feet and then return to the original units.