# Why are the formulas for finding area for a square vs. a rectangle different?

I'm puzzled about why the formula for area of a square is side squared, but for a rectangle it's length times height. Why wouldn't it be for a square, side times side?

• It's the smae formula, except width = height = side for squares! – Bernard Oct 8 '17 at 16:31
• In other words, side $\times$ side = side${}^2$. – J.-E. Pin Oct 8 '17 at 16:32
• Actually you can get the area of the square also using the formula for the rhombus $$\frac{diagonal\times diagonal }{2}$$ – Raffaele Oct 8 '17 at 16:38

"Side times side" is equal to "side squared". So they are the same. $$\text{side }\times\text{ side} = \text{side}^2$$
I am writing this to answers because I can't write it to the comments Assume that you have a square with side (say) $a$ units long, the area of this square (as we know it) is $a^2$;
Now you have o add the area of these two squares $a^2+a^2=2a^2$ which we already knew from $side\times side$, this is a little demonstration of the fact that you can make two squares out of rectangles and add their areas together to prove that the area of a rectangle $=\text{side}\times\text{side}$. And my apologies because I am a beginner in Geogebra.