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Math 10C Module 1 Lesson 5


This illustration shows a cylinder, a sphere, a cone, a rectangular prism, and a pyramid.

© skvoor/shutterstock

Glossary Terms

Add the following terms to your “Glossary Terms” section to your notes:

  • area

  • base

  • volume

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This illustration shows a square.

Recall that area is the amount of square units occupying an enclosed shape or two-dimensional space. To find the area of a shape, you need to multiply two dimensions of the shape together. For example,

1 cm × 1 cm = 1 cm2

On the other hand, volume measures the amount of cubic units occupying a three-dimensional space. To find the volume of an object, you need to multiply three dimensions of the object together. For example,

1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm = 1 cm3

Prisms

Watch and Listen

Volume of a Prism

Watch the multimedia presentation titled “Volume of a Prism.” See if you can remember the three steps that are needed to find the volume of a prism.

Generally speaking, the formula for the volume of a prism is the following:

volume = area of base × height

Self-Check

Use the formula for the volume of prisms to solve the following problems.

SC 1. Find the volume of the triangular prism shown here.

This graphic shows an illustration of a triangular prism.

SC 2. Find the volume of a rectangular prism that has a base measuring 6 in by 4 in and a height of 8 in.

This shows an illustration of a rectangular prism with dimensions of 4 in, 6 in, and 8 in.

Compare your answers.