What are the steps for using a compass and straightedge to construct a square?

Answer 1

1.) Determine the length that one side of the square should be.
2.) Using a writing utensil and straightedge draw said length in the form of a line segment.
3.) Depending on what the compass looks like there are two options.

Answer 2

(Scissor looking compass:) Draw a circle by placing the point at the middle of the line and rotating about the axis. Then draw an equivalent line segment length running from one side of the circle to the next. You should end up with a circle with a plus sign in it. From there simply move the lines out to the side and its done. Then finish up the square.

Answer 3

(Easier way:) Always remember that the vertices of a square are each 90 degrees.

So the other way, would be marking where a 90 degree angle is made from the line, and basically connecting the dots when done.

If you want an image check "square wikipedia"

Answer 4

The above instructions are rather murky at best. The key is to construct a right angle. There are lots of explanations on how to do this, such as the one at

http://www.mathopenref.com/constsquare.html