What is the volume of a cube with a side length of 2 feet?

Question

What is the volume of a cube with a side length of 2 feet?

Answer 1

First off, let's think about what "volume" means. Volume is how much space (in this case feet) something takes up in the third dimension. So how do we measure in the third dimension? Well, first we need to know how to measure in the 1st and 2nd dimensions.

 

Length = 1st dimension

 

This is great! We already know the length : 2 feet.

 

To get to the 2nd dimension, we have to add another dimension. Typically the second dimension uses width. So to get to the second dimension we do length x width. Does this look familiar? That's right! It's the area.

 

Area = 2nd dimension

Area = length x width

 

In this case, the area is equal to the base of our cube. If our cube was a room, we'd have figured out how much carpet we needed for the base/floor of our room.

 

Remember, volume is the 3rd dimension  so we'll need to add another dimension. We'll add height next.

 

Volume = 3rd dimension

Volume = length x width x height

 

 

What do we know about cubes? Well, all sides of a cube are equal - its length = height = width.

 

So we know the length = 2, that means :

 

height =2

width = 2

 

I'll let you figure it out from there. Best of luck! Let me know if you need any help!

Answer 2

A cube has sides of equal length all around.  The volume of a cube is the side length raised to the 3rd power because volume accounts for 3 dimensions.

 

Volume = (2 feet)³

 

Volume = (2 feet)(2 feet)(2 feet)

 

Volume = 8 cubic feet