Physics Topic
Volume of Regular and Irregular Objects
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Study focus - 3 things
- Volume is the amount of space an object takes up
- Regular objects use formulas; irregular objects can use water displacement
- Volume units include cm³, m³, mL, and L
Section 1What volume means
Volume tells you how much space something takes up. A lunch box, a stone, and a bottle of water all have volume. Watch out: volume is not the same as mass; mass is how much matter is in the object.
Section 2Regular objects
A regular solid has a shape you can measure with a formula. For a cuboid, volume = length x width x height. If the lengths are in centimetres, the volume is in cubic centimetres.
Section 3Irregular objects
Irregular objects do not fit a simple formula. Here's the trick: place the object in water and measure how much the water level rises. The rise in water volume equals the object's volume, as long as the object is fully submerged.
Section 4Units that connect
In school labs, volume is often measured in cm³ or mL. These are closely connected: 1 cm³ = 1 mL. That makes measuring small objects easier with a measuring cylinder.
Examples
A cuboid is 4 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 2 cm high. Find its volume.
Volume = length x width x height = 4 x 3 x 2 = 24 cm³.
A small stone from Hellshire beach is placed in a measuring cylinder. Water rises from 40 mL to 53 mL. What is the stone's volume?
The water rose by 13 mL, so the stone's volume is 13 cm³. Remember: 1 mL = 1 cm³.
Now let's water it
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