If Samantha's backyard has an area of 100 square feet, and you need to know how much fencing to enclose the garden, you know you are looking for the parameter of the garden. To fine the parameter you have to know the length of the sides. Area of a square is length times width and length and width are the same value. So what you know the square-root of 100 is the value of each side. So each side of the garden is 10 feet long. To find parameter all you do is add up all four sides. 10+10+10+10 = 40 feet need to enclose the flower garden.