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How to Calculate the Volume of Parallel Solids

Volume measures how much space a substance, such as a gas, solid or liquid, can occupy within a three-dimensional object. Scientists use volume for practical applications to measure gases and liquids in experiments, and students use volume for geometric and calculus problems in the classroom. Since parallel solids like cubes and rectangular prisms have opposing sides that never intersect, their volumetric formulas will differ from shapes with intersecting sides such as rectangular and cylindrical prisms.

Things You'll Need

Measuring tool (ruler, tape measure)

Instructions

- 1
  Determine the shape of your object. Objects with parallel sides are rectangular prisms and cubes, each has its own volume formula.
- 2
  Calculate the dimensions using American standard or metric units. For the rectangular prism, you will need to measure the length, width and height using a measuring tool. For cubes, measure just one side since all sides are of equal lengths, widths and heights.
- 3
  The volume formula of a rectangular prism is: (length x width x height). The volume formula of a cube is: (width)^3, where you take the width and multiply by itself three times. Plug the dimensional units you measure into the appropriate formula to find the volume. For example, if you use feet as your unit of measurement, your answer would be in feet-cubed (ft.^3)

Numerology