If a land parcel is described as a mile square, its side length is

• A. 1 mile
• B. 2 miles
• C. 0.5 miles
• D. 3 miles

Answer: (A)

When a land parcel is described as mile square, it means the area is one square mile, and for a square the area equals the side length squared. So if area = 1 square mile, the side length s satisfies s^2 = 1, giving s = 1 mile. That’s why the side length is 1 mile. If you check the other options, a 2-mile side would give 4 square miles, 0.5 miles would give 0.25 square miles, and a 3-mile side would give 9 square miles, none of which match a mile-square parcel.