Why is 1.2 squared equals 1.44?

When you square a number, you are multiplying it by itself. In this case, 1.2 squared means 1.2 multiplied by 1.2. Therefore, 1.2 squared is equal to 1.44 because 1.2 multiplied by 1.2 equals 1.44. This is a fundamental mathematical operation based on the properties of exponents and multiplication.