Solids and Units of Volume

Q: What is volume measured in?

Volume is measured in cubic units. Common metric units include the cubic millimetre (mm³), the cubic centimetre (cm³), the litre and the cubic metre (m³). One cubic centimetre is the same as one millilitre, which is why millilitres and litres are used for liquids such as milk.

Q: Is a cubic centimetre the same as a millilitre?

Yes. One cubic centimetre is exactly the same volume as one millilitre, the unit you often see printed on yoghurts and drinks. A cubic centimetre is the space inside a cube with edges 1 centimetre long, about the size of a small dice. So 1 cm³ equals 1 ml.

Q: How do you convert millilitres to litres?

To convert millilitres to litres, divide by 1000, because 1 litre equals 1000 millilitres. You are converting to a larger unit, so the number gets smaller. For example, 2000 ml divided by 1000 gives 2 litres. To go back from litres to millilitres, you multiply by 1000 instead.

Q: Why do you multiply by 1000 when converting to a smaller unit?

You multiply by 1000 because the conversion rate between neighbouring volume units is 1000. Moving to a smaller unit, each cube counts for less, so you need more of them. For example, 1 cubic centimetre equals 1000 cubic millimetres, so 5 cm³ becomes 5 × 1000 = 5000 mm³.

Key concept

Units of volume are the cubic units used to measure the space inside a solid, such as mm³, cm³ and ml. One cm³ is a cube 1 cm on each side, like a dice. To reach a smaller unit, multiply by 1000, so 1 cm³ = 1000 mm³.

Solids and Units of Volume - introduction visual

Video Lesson

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$Solids and Units of Volume poster$

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Flashcards

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Cuboid with labelled dimensions for length, width, and height, representing a 3D solid shape in geometry.

Showing the properties of solids, focusing on cuboids and cubes, with details on vertices, edges, and faces, comparing rectangle and square faces.

Diagram showing volume of a cube: 27 unit cubes (1 cm³ each) form a 3×3×3 cube with total volume of 27 cm³.

Volume units chart showing cubic millimetre, cubic centimetre, litre, and cubic metre with examples and corresponding edge lengths.

Converting units of volume between cubic millimetres, cubic centimetres, millilitres, litres, and cubic metres with examples.

What are Solids?

Solids are 3D shapes with length, width, and height.
Solids take up space. Cubes and cuboids are common solids.

Practice Questions

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How many faces does a cube have?

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Interactive Activity

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Students Also Ask

The questions students bump into most on this topic

What is the difference between a cube and a cuboid?

A cuboid is a solid with 6 faces, 8 vertices and 12 edges, and all its faces are rectangles. A cube is a special cuboid where every face is a square, so all 12 edges are the same length. Every cube is a cuboid, but not every cuboid is a cube.

How many faces, edges and vertices does a cuboid have?

A cuboid has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices. The faces are flat surfaces, and all six are rectangles. The edges are the line segments where two faces meet, and the vertices are the points where at least three edges meet. A cube shares these same numbers.

What is volume measured in?

Volume is measured in cubic units. Common metric units include the cubic millimetre (mm³), the cubic centimetre (cm³), the litre and the cubic metre (m³). One cubic centimetre is the same as one millilitre, which is why millilitres and litres are used for liquids such as milk.

Is a cubic centimetre the same as a millilitre?

Yes. One cubic centimetre is exactly the same volume as one millilitre, the unit you often see printed on yoghurts and drinks. A cubic centimetre is the space inside a cube with edges 1 centimetre long, about the size of a small dice. So 1 cm³ equals 1 ml.

How do you convert millilitres to litres?

To convert millilitres to litres, divide by 1000, because 1 litre equals 1000 millilitres. You are converting to a larger unit, so the number gets smaller. For example, 2000 ml divided by 1000 gives 2 litres. To go back from litres to millilitres, you multiply by 1000 instead.

Why do you multiply by 1000 when converting to a smaller unit?

You multiply by 1000 because the conversion rate between neighbouring volume units is 1000. Moving to a smaller unit, each cube counts for less, so you need more of them. For example, 1 cubic centimetre equals 1000 cubic millimetres, so 5 cm³ becomes 5 × 1000 = 5000 mm³.

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