Volume of Solids

Volume is the measure of the amount of three-dimensional space occupied by a solid object. It is expressed in cubic units, such as cubic centimetres (cm³), cubic metres (m³), or cubic millimetres (mm³). For Grade 11 O/L, we focus on the volumes of prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres, and how to combine these to find volumes of composite solids. A prism is a solid with two identical, parallel polygonal bases and rectangular lateral faces. The cross-section perpendicular to the length is constant throughout. Examples include rectangular prisms (cuboids), triangular prisms, and hexagonal prisms. The volume of any prism is found by multiplying the area of its base by its height (the perpendicular distance between the bases). A cylinder is a special type of prism with circular bases. Its volume is also base area times height, where the base area is the area of a circle.