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A square is a quadrilateral with four right angles and four congruent sides. Easy to draw, right? Not so fast. Drawing a perfect square requires more than just a steady hand. Learning to draw a perfect square using either a protractor or compass is a useful skill.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Protractor Method

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  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Draw a side of the square using ruler.
    Keep track of the length of this side so you can make all four sides the same length.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Draw a Square
    Considering the side drawn in the previous step as one of the arms, construct a right angle on each end of it. Thus the end points of the side drawn in the previous step would also be the two vertices of these right angles.[1]
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  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Draw a Square
    Mark a point on each of the newly drawn arms (of the two right angles), at a distance (measured from the respective vertex of the right angle) which is same as the length of the side drawn initially.[2]
    • Join these two points.
  4. How.com.vn English: Step 4 You just drew a perfect square!
    Erase any extraneous constructions if you so wish.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Compass Method

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  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Construct a right...
    Construct a right angle (let's name it LMN) as described here. Ensure that each of the arms are longer than the desired side length of the square.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Draw a Square
    Place spike of the compass on the vertex of the right angle constructed in the previous step, i.e. on the point M, and set the width of the compass equal to the desired side length of the square - this set width remains unchanged until the entire construction is completed.[3]
    • Draw an arc cutting the arm MN at some point (say P)
    • Draw another arc to cut the arm LM at some point (say Q)
  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Draw a Square
    [4]
  4. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Draw a Square
    Place the spike of the compass on point P and draw another arc which cuts the arc drawn in the previous step at some point (say R).[5]
  5. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Draw a Square
    [6]
    • The figure PMQR is a square. You may erase other unnecessary constructions if you so wish.
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  • Question
    How do I construct a square with triangles?
    How.com.vn English: Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Use the triangle's 90° angle to draw a right angle. Measure from the vertex the same distance along each line you've drawn. Mark that distance on each line. Then draw a right angle vertex at each mark, and extend these new lines until they intersect at the fourth vertex.
  • Question
    How do I draw a circle that has a radius of 3.6cm?
    How.com.vn English: Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Use a compass. Pick a point for the circle's center. draw a straight line in any direction and measure 3.6 cm along the line from the point to another point on the line. That's a radius of the circle. Put the pivot point of the compass on that first point and the pencil lead on the second point 3.6 cm away. Inscribe a circle through that second point.
  • Question
    How do I construct square whose diagonal is 5.5 cm?
    How.com.vn English: Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Draw a line segment 5.5 cm long. Draw a line that bisects the first line perpendicularly. Extend the second line 2.75 cm (half of 5.5 cm) in each direction from the first line. Draw four lines connecting in turn the four ends of the line segments. That's the square.
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      Things You'll Need

      • Paper
      • Ruler
      • Protractor or Compass
      • Pen or Pencil

      Tips

      • Do not always erase the construction lines, sometimes your teacher wants work to be shown.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
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      Warnings

      • The spike on a regular compass is potentially a safety hazard. Don't poke people with it, throw it across the room, or do anything else that could cause injury. If you are not experienced with using one, exercise increased caution.
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      About This Article

      Tested by:
      How.com.vn Video Team
      How.com.vn is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 30 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 217,216 times.
      18 votes - 42%
      Co-authors: 30
      Updated: February 8, 2024
      Views: 217,216
      Categories: Geometry | Drawing Shapes
      Article SummaryX

      To draw a square, start by drawing a straight line using a ruler. Then, measure the line so you can make the other sides of the square the same length. Next, draw a line going straight up from each end of the first line that are the same length as the first line. The angle between these lines and the first line should be 90 degrees. Finally, connect the upper ends of the 2 new lines with a straight line. If you want to learn how to draw a square using a compass, keep reading the article!

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      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 217,216 times.

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