The volumes of regular solids, such as spheres (balls) and rectangular prisms (blocks), can be determined by measuring their dimensions. The volume of a solid is usually expressed in cubic centimeters (cm3). One cubic centimeter is exactly the same volume as 1 milliliter.

 

Goal: Measure and calculate the volume of a rectangular prism and a sphere.

 

1. Observe: Count the squares in the rectangle at right to find its area.

 

A. What is the area of the rectangle? ______________________

 

 

2. Observe: A block is an example of a rectangular prism. A rectangular prism has six rectangular faces. Look at the block shown below. Each cube inside the block has a 1-cm side and a volume of 1 cm3, or 1 mL.

 

A. What are the length, width, and height of the block?

 

Length: _____ Width: _____ Height: _____

 

B. Multiply these three dimensions. What is the product of the length, width, and height? __________

C. How many cubic centimeters are in the block? __________