Volume and surface area of a cuboid
Finding the volume and total surface area of a cuboid by working out and pairing up its six faces.
The Question
A cuboid measures 8 cm by 5 cm by 3 cm. Find its volume, and the total area of all six faces.
The Answer
Reveal the Answer
Volume = 8 × 5 × 3 = 120 cm³. The faces come in pairs: 8×5 = 40, 8×3 = 24, 5×3 = 15. 2 × (40 + 24 + 15) = 158 cm². Counting the faces in pairs is what stops you missing one.
Now watch the solution
Practice Sheet + Marked Answers
The four-question practice sheet, the solutions in our teaching voice and a self-marking quiz for this question are part of The Question Desk course — every school day of the term, with progress you can see. Enrolled group students get it included.
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