Quote:
The ^2 only applies to the ft because that's where the ^2 symbol is.


maybe you should use the ^2 where it makes more sense.
because your not squaring feet your squaring a number.
feet is the units.
it makes no sense to square units.
youll never get a correct answer.


like 2 bananas x 2 bananas = 2^2 bananas = 4 bananas

2 squared * bananas = 4 bananas

2ft * 2ft = 2^2ft = 4 sq feet

2 squared * ft = 4 sq feet


Quote:
2ft * 2ft = 4 * ft * ft


how much is ft * ft?

wouldnt that be squaring the ft

when you should be squaring the number.

4 times ft times ft = 4 ft
because ft does not have a numeric value it is a unit
4 is the value , so you should square the 4
and if you square the only value you have you get

4 x 4 = 16


you said you had a problem understanding why they did things the way they did when you first started math.

its because that is the way they were taught to do it so they just passed it on to you.

now your remembering the way it was before.

that is the correct way.

your problem is that if you teach your students the correct way and their teachers in the future dont understand it
they will get bad grades.

so now you must teach them flawed logic.




3/4 inch of dust build up on the moon in 4.527 billion years,LOL and QM is fantasy science.