Resources/Volume of rectangular prisms
Grade 5•Printable worksheet + answer key•CC0 license

Volume of rectangular prisms

A printable lesson on finding volume using V = l × w × h.

Students learn to calculate volume by counting unit cubes and using the formula V = length × width × height.

Print-ready worksheet with answer key and quick teaching tips.

Grade 50 problems10 minAnswer key included
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Ready-to-teach

Clear steps, examples, and practice in one printable page.

Misconception-proof

Highlights common mistakes and how to fix them quickly.

Open license

CC0: free to copy, adapt, and share without attribution.

Quick overview

This free volume worksheet for grade 5 builds understanding of 3D measurement and the volume formula.

Lesson plan snapshot

15-20 min
  • Warm-up (3 min): build a rectangular prism with cubes and count them.
  • Model (5 min): connect counting cubes to the formula.
  • Guided practice (5 min): complete problems 1-4 as a group.
  • Independent practice (7 min): finish the remaining problems.

Materials: unit cubes, pencil, calculator (optional)

Learning targets

  • Understand volume as the space inside a 3D shape.
  • Count unit cubes to find volume.
  • Apply V = l × w × h to find volume.
  • Solve word problems involving volume.

Step-by-step approach

  1. 1Identify the length, width, and height of the rectangular prism.
  2. 2Multiply: Volume = length × width × height.
  3. 3Use cubic units (cm³, m³, in³, ft³) for the answer.

Common mistakes

Mistake

Calculating area instead of volume.

Try instead

Volume needs all THREE dimensions: length × width × height.

Mistake

Using square units instead of cubic units.

Try instead

Volume is always in CUBIC units (³). Area uses square units (²).

Mistake

Forgetting one dimension.

Try instead

Check that you multiplied three numbers, not two.

Worked example

Guided
A box is 4 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 2 cm tall. Find the volume.
  1. V = length × width × height
  2. V = 4 × 3 × 2
  3. V = 24 cm³
Answer: 24 cm³

Related resources

Surface Area

Find the total area covering a 3D shape.

View resource

Area & Perimeter

2D measurement foundations.

View resource

Practice problems

10 problems • 15 min

Printable worksheet
  1. 1
    Find the volume of a rectangular prism with length 4 cm, width 4 cm, and height 5 cm.
  2. 2
    A shipping box has dimensions 10 ft × 7 ft × 6 ft. How much space is inside the box?
  3. 3
    Find the volume of a rectangular prism with length 8 cm, width 9 cm, and height 4 cm.
  4. 4
    A shipping box has dimensions 8 ft × 8 ft × 7 ft. How much space is inside the box?
  5. 5
    A rectangular prism has volume 120 cm³, width 8 cm, and height 3 cm. Find the length.
  6. 6
    A shipping box has dimensions 5 ft × 9 ft × 5 ft. How much space is inside the box?
  7. 7
    An aquarium is 12 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 12 inches tall. What is its volume?
  8. 8
    A rectangular prism has volume 192 cm³, length 4 cm, and height 6 cm. Find the width.
  9. 9
    Find the volume of a rectangular prism with length 4 cm, width 5 cm, and height 5 cm.
  10. 10
    Find the volume of a rectangular prism with length 9 cm, width 6 cm, and height 8 cm.

Answer key

10 answers
  1. 11) 80 cm³
  2. 22) 420 cubic feet
  3. 33) 288 cm³
  4. 44) 448 cubic feet
  5. 55) 5 cm
  6. 66) 225 cubic feet
  7. 77) 2160 cubic inches
  8. 88) 8 cm
  9. 99) 100 cm³
  10. 1010) 432 cm³

Teacher tips

  • TBuild prisms with unit cubes before introducing the formula.
  • TConnect to filling boxes layer by layer.
  • THave students predict which box holds more before calculating.

Parent tips

  • PFind boxes at home and measure their dimensions.
  • PTalk about 'how much can fit inside' vs 'how big is the outside'.
  • PCompare the volumes of different containers.

Open license

You are free to copy, adapt, and share these materials. No attribution required. Released under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (public domain).