Estimating volume and capacity
In a nutshell
The volume of a shape tells you how much space it takes up. You can measure the volume by counting squares or using a formula. Liquids also take up volume. Objects such as containers and jugs have a capacity.
Volume
Volume is the measurement of how much space a 3D shape takes up. It can be measured in different units such mm3,cm3 and m3.
Using cubes to find the volume
Cubes with a given length can be used to work out volume.
Example 1
Find the volume of the cuboid, by counting the cubes.
1 cube=1cm3 |
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Firstly, count the number of cubes in the cuboid.
The cuboid is made up of 12 cubes.
Since each cube is 1cm3 multiply this by 12 to find the total volume.
The volume of the cuboid is 12cm3.
Using the formula to find the volume
The volume of a cuboid can be found using the following formula:
V=l×w×h | | The Volume of the cuboid. | | The length of the cuboid. | | The width of the cuboid. | | The height of the cuboid. |
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Example 2
Find the volume of the cuboid using the formula.
height=3cm, width=2cm, length=5cm
Substitute the values for height, width and length in to the formula.
VolumeVolumeVolume=l×w×h=5×2×3=30cm3
Capacity
Liquids also have a volume which takes up space in a given vessel, such as a jug. The jug's capacity is the maximum volume of liquid it may hold.
Example 3
Determine the capacity of the jug.
The jug is filled up to 1300ml. However, the maximum capacity of the jug is 1500ml.
The capacity of the jug is 1500ml.