The volume of an object is the amount of space it takes up.The volumes of certain simple objects such as cubes and prisms can be calculated using formulae.
Units of Volume
- The basic unit for volume is the cubic metre, written m3.
- 1 cubic metre is the volume occupied by a cube of length 1 metre.
- Smaller volumes are often measured in cubic centimetres, cm3, sometimes called cc.
- 1 litre = 1000 cm3
1 mL = 1 cm3 (1 cc)
Volume formulae
The following formulae can be memorised, although in exams often the formulae needed for a question are provided. You should certainly memorise the simpler ones.
|
Solid Name
|
Diagram
|
Volume
|
Cube |
 |
V = l × l × l = l3 |
Cuboid or Rectangular Prism |
 |
V = (shaded area) × l |
Prism |
 |
V = (shaded area) × l =(1⁄2 × b × h) l |
 |
V = 1⁄3 × (area of base) × h |
Try this useful activity on the volume and surface area of cuboids and triangular prisms.
