To find the volume of a rectangular prism, you use the formula:
Volume=length×width×height\text{Volume}=\text{length}\times \text{width}\times \text{height}Volume=length×width×height
Here's how to do it step-by-step:
- Measure the dimensions : Identify the length (l), width (w), and height (h) of the rectangular prism. Make sure all measurements are in the same unit.
- Calculate the base area : Multiply length and width to get the base area B=l×wB=l\times wB=l×w.
- Multiply by height : Multiply the base area by the height to get the volume V=B×h=l×w×hV=B\times h=l\times w\times hV=B×h=l×w×h.
- Express in cubic units : The volume is expressed in cubic units corresponding to the units used for length, width, and height (e.g., cubic centimeters cm3cm^3cm3, cubic meters m3m^3m3, or cubic inches in3in^3in3).
Example:
If a rectangular prism has a length of 5 cm, width of 3 cm, and height of 4
cm, then its volume is:
V=5×3×4=60 cm3V=5\times 3\times 4=60\text{ cm}^3V=5×3×4=60 cm3
This means the prism occupies 60 cubic centimeters of space
