A prism has the same cross-section all the way through, like a cuboid or a triangular prism. Its volume is the area of the cross-section × its length.
For a cuboid, the cross-section is a rectangle, so volume = length × width × height. A cube with edges of 7 cm has volume 7 × 7 × 7 = 343 cm³. Volume is measured in cubic units, such as cm³ or m³.
Worked example
Find the volume of a cuboid 3 cm × 20 cm × 15 cm.
- Multiply the three dimensions.
- 3 × 20 = 60, then 60 × 15 = 900.
Answer:900 cm³
Key words
- prism
- a solid with the same cross-section along its length
- cross-section
- the shape you see when you slice across
- cm³
- cubic centimeters
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: 6.G.A.2