Volume: FAQ

Volume is the measure of how much space an object takes up. We often measure volume in cubic units, like cubic inches or cubic centimeters.

Unit cubes are cubes that measure exactly one unit on each side. We use them to help us calculate the volume of other shapes.

Try it yourself with these exercises:

There are a few different ways we can find the volume of a rectangular prism. We can use unit cubes to fill the prism and count how many we used, or we can multiply the area of the base by the height of the prism.

Try it yourself with these exercises:

To decompose a figure means to break it down into smaller shapes. We can use this strategy to find the volume of more complicated shapes by breaking them down into shapes we know how to measure.

Try it yourself with these exercises:

Volume is used in a lot of different ways in the real world! For example, when we want to know how much liquid a container can hold, we're measuring its volume. When we're packing a moving truck, we need to know the volume of all the boxes we're putting in so we don't overfill it.

Try it yourself with this exercise: