You will need
• centimetre linking
11.4 Relating the Dimensions cubes
• triangle dot paper
of a Rectangular Prism
to Its Volume
GOAL
Discover how changing the sides of a rectangular prism affects its volume;
sketch a rectangular prism given its volume.
Learn about the Math
A new building has a square base and will have 16
rooms on each floor.
? How many rooms could be in the finished
building?
A. Use centimetre linking cubes to model a
rectangular prism that is one layer high.
Calculate the volume, and record it in a copy
of this table.
Dimensions (cm) Volume
Model Length Width Height (cm3)
4 4 1
4 4 2
4 4 3
B. Increase the height by one layer at a time. Calculate each volume,
and record it in your table.
C. How does the volume change as the height increases?
D. How many rooms will there be if the finished building has 4 stories?
8 stories?
NEL
398 Chapter 11
Reflecting
1. Why did the volume increase each time you added a layer?
2. Find two volumes in your table, where one is double the other.
Compare the heights. What do you notice?
3. Find two volumes in your table, where one is triple the other.
Compare the heights. What do you notice?
Work with the Math
Example: Doubling other dimensions in a rectangular prism
Does the volume double if you double one of the dimensions? Use diagrams
to support your answer.
James’s Solution
I drew diagrams on triangle dot paper and recorded the measurements in a table.
First I doubled the width.
Dimensions (cm)
Length Width Height Volume (cm3)
2 1 1 2
2 2 1 4
2 4 1 8
2 8 1 16
2 16 1 32
If you double the width, you double the volume.
Then I doubled the length.
Dimensions (cm)
Length Width Height Volume (cm3)
1 2 2 4
2 2 2 8
4 2 2 16
8 2 2 32
16 2 2 64
If you double the length, you double the volume.
c) The height of the original prism is
Checking tripled. The other dimensions remain
4. a) Sketch a rectangular prism that has a the same. What is the volume now?
volume of 200 m3. d) The length of the original prism is
b) The height of the prism is doubled. The doubled. The other dimensions remain
other dimensions remain the same. the same. What is the volume now?
What is the volume now?
NEL
Surface Area and Volume 399
8. A toy company sells model cars, trucks,
Practising and airplanes in boxes. The company’s
5. The volume of a rectangular prism is standard box is 9.0 cm high, 14.5 cm long,
200 cm3. The height of the prism is 10 cm. and 8.0 cm wide.
a) The height of the prism changes, a) What is the volume of the standard box?
causing its volume to become 400 cm3. b) Models of transport trucks are sold
The other dimensions remain the same. in boxes that are twice as long as the
What is the new height of the prism? standard box. The other dimensions
Use sketches to support your answer. are the same. What is the volume of
b) The height of the original prism a model truck box?
changes, causing its volume to become c) Models of jet airplanes are sold in
600 cm3. The other dimensions remain boxes that are half as high and twice as
the same. What is the height of the wide as the standard box. The length is
prism now? Explain your answer. the same. What is the volume of a
c) The height of the original prism model airplane box?
changes again, causing its volume to
become 100 cm3. The other dimensions 9. A rectangular prism is 2.5 cm high,
remain the same. What is the height of 3.4 cm long, and 5.6 cm wide.
the prism now? Explain your answer. a) What is the volume of the prism?
b) The height of the prism changes,
6. A rectangular prism is 5 m high by
causing its volume to become
3 m long by 6 m wide.
142.8 cm3. The length and the width
a) What is the volume of the prism? stay the same. What is the new height?
b) The height of the prism doubles. The c) The width of the original prism
other dimensions stay the same. What changes, causing its volume to become
is the volume of the prism now? 95.2 cm3. The length and the height
c) The length of the original prism stay the same. What is its width now?
doubles, and the other dimensions stay
the same. What is the volume now? Extending
7. A box is 7.5 cm high, 10.2 cm long, and 10. A box of chocolates is 5 cm high,
2.0 cm wide. 7 cm long, and 12 cm wide.
a) What is the volume of the box? a) What is the volume of the box?
b) What is the volume of the box if its b) The length of the box is doubled, and
height triples? the width is halved. Has the volume
c) What is the volume of the box if its changed? Explain your answer.
length is multiplied by 4? c) The height and length of the original
box are both doubled. The width is
divided by 4. Has the volume changed?
Explain your answer.
NEL
400 Chapter 11
