The SI unit of area is

2011

The SI unit of area is

  1. A.

    mm2

  2. B.

    cm2

  3. C.

    m2

  4. D.

    km2

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Correct answer: C

The SI (International System of Units) assigns a base unit to each fundamental physical quantity and builds units for derived quantities by combining base units according to the quantity's defining relation; the SI base unit of length is the metre (m), and area is a derived quantity formed from length.

  1. Area of a plane figure equals length multiplied by breadth, a product of two length measurements.

  2. Substituting the SI base unit of length (metre) for each length term gives the derived SI unit of area as metre × metre, i.e. square metre (m2).

  3. Comparing this derived unit with the options given, the square metre (m2) is the one that matches.

This also follows from dimensional analysis: the dimensional formula of area is [L2], and substituting the SI unit of length (m) reproduces m2, confirming the result. The remaining options — mm2, cm2, and km2 — are valid area units related to m2 by fixed powers of ten (1 m2 = 106 mm2 = 104 cm2 = 10-6 km2), but each carries a metric prefix rather than being the unprefixed SI derived unit.

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