You get a square number by multiplying a number by itself, so knowing the square numbers is a handy way to remember part of the multiplication table. Although you probably remember without help that 2 2 = 4, you may be sketchy on some of the higher numbers, such as 7 7 = 49. Knowing the square numbers gives you another way to etch that multiplication table forever into your brain.
The following figure shows the first few square numbers: 1, 4, 9, 16, and 25.
From here, you can determine more square numbers:
36 49 64 . . . .
Visual aids can help you find square numbers. The tastiest visual aids you’ll ever find are those little square cheese-flavored crackers. (You probably have a box sitting somewhere in the pantry. If not, saltine crackers or any other square food works just as well.) Shake a bunch out of a box and place the little squares together to make bigger squares, as shown in the above figure.
