1. **Problem statement:** The actual area of the square lot is 2.25 hectares, and the sides were measured with a tape that is 0.04 m too short. We need to find the error in area in square meters. 2. **Convert the area from hectares to square meters:** Since 1 hectare = 10,000 m\(^2\), $$\text{Area} = 2.25 \times 10,000 = 22,500 \text{ m}^2$$ 3. **Find the length of a side of the square:** The area of a square is side\(^2\), so $$s = \sqrt{22,500} = 150 \text{ m}$$ 4. **Determine the measured length with the faulty tape:** The tape is 0.04 m short for every 100 m. Since the side is 150 m, the error in length measurement is proportional: $$\frac{0.04}{100} \times 150 = 0.06 \text{ m}$$ Therefore, the measured length is: $$s_{measured} = 150 - 0.06 = 149.94 \text{ m}$$ 5. **Calculate the measured area:** $$A_{measured} = (149.94)^2 = 22,481.0036 \text{ m}^2$$ 6. **Compute the error in area:** $$\text{Error} = A_{actual} - A_{measured} = 22,500 - 22,481.0036 = 18.9964 \text{ m}^2$$ 7. **Conclusion:** The error in area due to the tape being 0.04 m too short is approximately 19 square meters.