What is the smallest number of rectangles with sides of 2 cm and 5 cm that you can make a square?

a) You can make a square with an empty middle.

This will require 4 rectangles 5 × 2 cm. We arrange them along the contour, “fence”. Each side of the resulting square consists of two parts: 5 cm long and 2 cm long.Each side is 7 cm long.

In this case, an empty square of 3 × 3 cm is formed in the middle.

b) To make the smallest solid square, you need 10 rectangles 5 × 2 cm.This will be a square with a side length of 10 cm.

The side of such a square consists either of 2 parts of 5 cm, or of 5 parts of 2 cm.