How many acres are contained in one section of land?

One section of land is defined as a square area that is one mile by one mile. Since a mile is equivalent to 5,280 feet, the area can be calculated as follows:

1 mile × 1 mile = 5,280 feet × 5,280 feet = 27,878,400 square feet.

However, when measuring land in acres, it is important to know that one acre is equivalent to 43,560 square feet. To determine how many acres are in a section, the total square footage of one section must be divided by the area of one acre:

27,878,400 square feet ÷ 43,560 square feet per acre = 640 acres.

This means that each section of land, being one square mile, indeed encompasses 640 acres.

The options regarding 480, 720, and 800 acres are incorrect because they do not align with the standard definition of a section in land surveying. A section consistently equals 640 acres in the Public Land Survey System used in the United States. Understanding this definition is fundamental in agricultural studies and land management, making it crucial for FFA members to be aware of the measurement of land.