The volume of a three-dimensional shape is the amount of “stuff” it can hold. For example, the amount of liquid that a rectangular milk carton holds can be determined by finding the volume of the carton. Volume is measured in cubic units such as in3 (cubic inches) or ft3 (cubic feet).
| Volume = Length × Width × Height |
By looking at the rectangular solid above, you can see that the length is 12, the width is 3, and the height is 4. Therefore, the volume is 12 × 3 × 4, which is 144.
In a cube, all three of the dimensions—length, width, and height—are identical. Therefore, knowing the measurement of just one side of the cube is sufficient to find the volume. In the cube shown, the volume is 5 × 5 × 5, which equals 125.
The volume of a rectangular solid with length 8, width 6, and height 4 is how many times the volume of a rectangular solid with length 4, width 3, and height 2?