How do you calculate the volume of a rectangular solid?

How do you calculate the volume of a rectangular solid?

• A. Volume = length × width × height
• B. Volume = length + width + height
• C. Volume = 2 × length × width
• D. Volume = length × width

Answer: (A)

Volume of a rectangular solid comes from multiplying all three perpendicular dimensions: length, width, and height. Think of filling the box with unit cubes: each layer across the height has area length × width, and stacking height such layers gives volume = length × width × height. The units are cubic (for example, cubic centimeters). That’s why the expression that uses all three dimensions is the correct way to compute volume. The other forms don’t match what volume measures: adding the dimensions gives a length, not a 3D space; doubling only two dimensions relates to base area, not volume; using only length and width gives the base area, not the full volume. For a concrete check, a box 3 by 4 by 2 has volume 3 × 4 × 2 = 24 cubic units.

Volume of a rectangular solid comes from multiplying all three perpendicular dimensions: length, width, and height. Think of filling the box with unit cubes: each layer across the height has area length × width, and stacking height such layers gives volume = length × width × height. The units are cubic (for example, cubic centimeters).

That’s why the expression that uses all three dimensions is the correct way to compute volume. The other forms don’t match what volume measures: adding the dimensions gives a length, not a 3D space; doubling only two dimensions relates to base area, not volume; using only length and width gives the base area, not the full volume. For a concrete check, a box 3 by 4 by 2 has volume 3 × 4 × 2 = 24 cubic units.