Understanding Prism Volume Calculations

This page provides a detailed explanation of how to calculate the volume of both rectangular and triangular prisms.

Definition: Volume of a rectangular prism is calculated by multiplying height, length, and width together.

Example: A rectangular prism with dimensions 3cm × 4cm × 6cm has a volume of 72 cubic centimeters (72cm³).

Highlight: For triangular prisms, the formula includes an additional step of multiplying by ½ to account for the triangular face.

Vocabulary: Cubic units (cm³) are used to express volume measurements, indicating three-dimensional space.

The page includes several worked examples:

1. A rectangular prism calculation: 3 × 4 × 6 = 72cm³
2. A triangular prism problem: 5 × 6 × 20 × ½ = 300cm³
3. Additional practice problems with dimensions:
   • 5m × 7m × 4m × ½
   • 8m × 7m × 5.5m × ½

Example: A triangular prism with base 8m, height 7m, and length 5.5m has a volume of 154 cubic meters when calculated using the formula: V = (b × h × l) × ½.