Part of MathsVolume
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A short video showing how to show the volume of a cuboid is length × width × height, by cutting a block of cheese into cubes.
Click to see a step-by-step slideshow.
WHAT YOU NEED: ruler, pen, cheese and a knife.
STEP 1: Lay the block of cheese flat. Use a ruler to mark 4 cm on the bottom edge and 3 cm on the side.
…turn the cheese on its side and mark 2 cm on its side.
STEP 2: Use a knife to cut a block off the cheese, using the marks as guides.
STEP 3: Use the ruler and make a mark every 1 cm along the length of the cheese. Repeat on all sides.
…use the knife to cut the cheese into 1 cm cubes, using the marks as guides.
STEP 4: Count all the blocks then arrange them back into a cuboid. You can see that the total number of blocks in the cuboid is the same as the length × width × height. This is the volume of the cuboid. Here it is 2 cm x 3 cm x 4 cm = 24 cm³
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Volume