How many square miles are in one mile?

Question

A person can see for a distance of 12 miles.  How many square miles can he see? Ok.  How many square miles are in one mile?

Answer 1

The last question is incorrect. Square mile is a unit of area (two dimensional), while one mile is a unit of distnace  or length (one dimensional). If you need to calculate the observable area (which is a circle, because you observe 12 miles in all directions) then just apply the standard geometric  formula

                                           A =π r² = π 12² = 3.14 x 144 miles² = 452.16 mi²

Answer 2

Hi Teren.

The square of any measurement unit for length (square meter, square foot etc.) will be used to measure surfaces of areas. Just by looking in one direction you will not cover a surface.

To do that U have to look all around your current position. This way your sight will cover the area comprised between your fixed position and the most distant still clearly visible terrain located 12 miles all around -- thus outlining a out-most still visible circle.

So what shape is the surface inside a circle -- a disk.

And which formula gives a disc's area -- π×(radius)² = 3.1416 × 12² = 3.1416 × 144 etc.

Answer 3

If a person can see for a distance of 12 miles, he/she can see the same distance in any direction. Therefore, he can see pi 12^2 = 144 pi square miles.