What is the formula for converting square feet to square yards?

To understand why dividing the area in square feet by 9 is the correct method for converting square feet to square yards, it's important to recognize the relationship between these two units of measurement.

One square yard is defined as a square that measures one yard on each side. Since one yard equals three feet, this means that a square yard is effectively a square that is 3 feet by 3 feet. When you calculate the area of this square, you multiply the length by the width:

3 feet x 3 feet = 9 square feet.

This shows that there are 9 square feet in one square yard. Therefore, to convert square feet to square yards, you need to determine how many groups of 9 square feet fit into the total area you have. The operation that achieves this is dividing the number of square feet by 9.

Thus, to find the area in square yards, you simply take your total area in square feet and divide it by 9, which correctly gives the area in square yards.