Why is knowing volume important

It can also be useful for understanding what the media mean when they talk about the capacity of a dam or the flow of a river. Area is expressed in square units 2 , because it is it is measured in two dimensions e.

Volume is expressed in cubic units 3 , because it is measured in three dimensions e. Cubic units include cm3, m3 and cubic feet. Cubic units include cm 3 , m 3 and cubic feet. It is therefore best to stick to either liquid or solid volume units. For more, see our page on Systems of Measurement. How you refer to the different dimensions does not change the calculation: you may, for example, use 'depth' instead of 'height'.

The important thing is that the three dimensions are multiplied together. You can multiply in which-ever order you like as it won't change the answer see our page on multiplication for more. This basic formula can be extended to cover the volume of cylinders and prisms too. Instead of a rectangular end, you simply have another shape: a circle for cylinders, a triangle, hexagon or, indeed, any other polygon for a prism.

Effectively, for cylinders and prisms, the volume is the area of one side multiplied by the depth or height of the shape. A straight length of circular pipe has an internal diameter of 2cm and a length of 1. Calculate the volume of water in the pipe. In this example you need to calculate the volume of a very long, thin cylinder, that forms the inside of the pipe.

The diameter is 2cm, so the radius is 1cm. The length of the pipe is 1. The water level rises. Take the new reading. The difference between readings is the volume of the object. Volume To calculate density , the volume of the material must be known.

In math, capacity is the amount a container will hold when full while volume refers to the amount of space inside that container. Capacity is generally measured in milliliters, liters, or kiloliters. Take a look at the following container, which is a rectangular prism. By the way a cow can probably produce about 4 gallons of milk a day.

Volume of solids. Recent Articles. Check out some of our top basic mathematics lessons. I am at least 16 years of age. I have read and accept the privacy policy. I understand that you will use my information to send me a newsletter.