Look around yourself, and you are bound to find things with different shapes. Square is a common geometrical shape with many practical uses and can be found all around us. It allows us to easily figure out the size or area of an object by using our knowledge of geometric formulas.
Before we explore real-life examples, let us understand the attributes of a square.
A square is a two-dimensional shape. It is a four-sided polygon with four equal sides, four equal angles, and four vertices.
Basic Properties of a Square –
Here are the following properties that give a square its unique shape –
- Opposite sides of a square are parallel to each other
- All four angles are right angles (90 degrees)
- The sum of all interior angles of a square equals 360 degrees
- A square has two equal diagonals
- The diagonals of a square intersect each other at right angles i.e., 90 degrees
Now that we have discussed the basics of a square, let’s look at some of its real-life examples.
Examples of Squares in real life: 15 commonly-found objects
The square shape appears in many everyday items we see and use on a daily basis. Take a moment to think about how many you can come up with before going through the list below.
1. Chessboard
The most striking feature of a chessboard is its black and white sections. These sections are nothing but squares. The square-shaped sections are colored black and white to form a unique board for the game of chess. You can find a total of sixty-four squares on a chessboard arranged in eight rows and eight columns.
2. Tiles
Square tiles are amongst the most common tiles used in construction. As tiles are versatile, you can find them in flooring, bathrooms, and kitchen. Square tiles make a good choice in construction as you can easily calculate how many tiles you will need to cover a particular area. When used, they impart a sleek and uniform look to a room.
3. Books
It is common to find books in rectangular shapes. But, take a stroll in a bookstore, and you will find several square-shaped books as well. Especially those tiny little books that easily fit into the hands of babies and toddlers. Board books for little kids are often square and contain specific information on each page. The books often come in bundles and are easy to store and carry because of their small size and square shape.
4. Picture Frames
Square picture frames are another real-life example of squares. They accentuate the overall look of a room by imparting depth to the elements in the frame and making them look more visually appealing. Square picture frames work well with images that highlight a single element. Make a wall collage of your favorite pictures and admire the beauty this basic geometric shape imparts to your living space.
5. Keyboard Keys
Did you ever notice that the keys on your keyboard are also square? In our professional or personal lives, we use keyboards nearly every day. But often, we miss noticing these tiny details even though they are right in front of us. With the advent of the digital world, we have been using our keyboards more than ever. And its square keys provide us a comfortable typing experience.
6. Food Items
Many food items that we relish during our meals or snack times are also squares. For instance, a slice of bread, a brick of a chocolate bar, brownies, and waffles. Interestingly, shapes affect how we perceive things around us. As we always imagine a slice of bread in a square shape, we may find it odd if a triangular-shaped bread is served to us.
7. Watch/ Wall Clock
Watches and wall clocks are other everyday objects found in a square shape. Be it a regular dial watch or a smartwatch, you can find it either in a circular shape or as a square. Even wall clocks are designed in this shape. The choice, however, depends on the user as some like circular watches and clocks while others prefer square ones.
8. Post-it Notes
Those colorful little notes we love to use to leave notes on the door of our fridge or for official reminders are also squares. These small squares have sufficient space to write quick notes and are easy to use. You would be surprised to know that some artists use these square post-it notes to make striking wall art. Do a quick search on the Internet and see for yourself!
9. Paper Napkins
Disposable paper napkins used in parties and dinners to absorb spills and clean up messes are also square-shaped. If you open a neatly folded napkin, you will reveal a big square consisting of four small squares.
10. Origami Paper
Origami is the art of folding paper to make interesting things. Making origami crafts with regular paper is a bit difficult due to its thickness. So, people use special origami paper to make origami crafts. Though origami paper is available in different sizes, the most common is square paper which is 20 cm x 20 cm in size.
11. Crossword Puzzle
A crossword puzzle is a clear example of the utilization of a square shape. It consists of a large square with numerous small squares that contain numbers to help you answer the questions. Solve a round of crossword puzzles if you wish to improve your vocabulary and speed up your thinking ability.
12. Logos
Logos play a significant role in creating and establishing a brand. And many well-known companies in the world have a square logo. Can you think of some? To highlight a few, we have companies like LEGO, Microsoft, BBC, and GAP, who chose to design their logos in a square format. As a square-shaped logo reflects a strong and professional image, it is preferred by many organizations.
13. Cushions
If you take a look at the cushions lying on your couch or your bed, you will most probably find them to be square-shaped. Nowadays, you can find cushions in different shapes like a rectangle, circles, or even cloud-shaped cushions for a nursery, but the old-time favorites are the square ones.
14. Pizza Box
Next time you order a pizza, check out its box. It is also a square. The square box conveniently holds the pizza in place so it can be delivered safely and on time. Try not to throw away the box and find ways to recycle it into cute wall art or turn it into your cat’s bed!
15. Carrom Board
Carrom is another game that has a large square board. Its square shape is precisely divided to allow four players to enjoy the game. The game is quite popular in Southeast Asian countries but has gained significant popularity in other countries as well.
Concluding thoughts
The world around us is filled with objects of different shapes. Therefore, it is imperative to have their knowledge for quick identification. Keeping this in mind, shapes are the first few things taught to little children once they are ready to learn.
Through this article, you have seen that many everyday items have a square shape. Square is a preferred shape because of its practicality and symmetry. Because of this, it is widely used in construction, art, food, and many other fields.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,