Volume of a cuboid
You learn to find the volume: how many cubes fit inside a shape.
How to work it out
- Base layer is length × width.
- Multiply by the height for total layers: L × W × H.
- Write cubic units: m³ or cm³.
A worked example
A box is 3 m long, 2 m wide and 2 m high. What is the volume?
- Multiply length, width and height: 3 × 2 × 2 = 12.
- The volume is 12 m³.
Another example
A cube has sides of 4 cm. What is the volume?
- Multiply the three sides: 4 × 4 × 4 = 64.
- The volume is 64 cm³.
Try it yourself
What is the volume of this cuboid measuring 10 by 10 by 10 m?
What is the volume of this cuboid measuring 6 by 5 by 4 m?
Watch out
You only multiply two of the sides: 3 × 2 = 6.
The volume is three dimensions: length times width times height.
Tips
- For a box with length L, width W and height H, the volume is L × W × H.
- For a cube with side S, the volume is S × S × S.
Why it works
The volume is the space inside a solid shape. You work it out by counting how many cubes fit inside. For a box you do length times width times height.