How to Calculate the Volume of a Rectangular Prism

Curry15

Editor

posted on 14 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

30
views

Volume is the amount of three-dimensional space taken up by an object. The computer or phone you're using right now has volume, and even you have volume. Finding the volume of a rectangular prism is actually really easy. Just multiply the length, the width, and the height of the rectangular prism. That's it! This article will walk you through the process step-by-step and show you an example.

Steps

Find the length of the rectangular prism. The length is the longest side of the flat surface of the rectangle on the top or bottom of the rectangular prism. Ex: Length = 5 in.

Find the width of the rectangular prism. The width is the shorter side of the flat surface of the rectangle on the top or bottom of the rectangular prism. Ex: Width = 4 in.

Find the height of the rectangular prism. The height is the part of the rectangular prism that rises up. Imagine that the height is what stretches up a flat rectangle until it becomes a three-dimensional shape. Ex: Height = 3 in.

Multiply the length, the width, and the height. You can multiply them in any order to get the same different result. The formula for finding the volume of a rectangular prism is the following: Volume = Length * Height * Width, or V = L * H * W. Ex: V = 5 in. * 4 in. * 3 in. = 60 in.

State your answer in cubic units. Since you're calculating volume, you're working in a three-dimensional space. Just take your answer and state it in cubic units. Whether you're working in feet, inches, or centimeters, you should state your answer in cubic units. 60 will become 60 in.