In this deck, you'll learn how to calculate the volume and surface area of common 3D shapes. We'll cover cuboids, prisms, and cylinders. First, let's clarify what these two terms mean. Volume is the amount of space inside a three-dimensional object, like how much water a bottle can hold. Surface area is the total area of the outside surfaces of an object, like how much wrapping paper you'd need to cover a box.

Let's start with a cuboid, which is just a mathematical name for a box shape. To find the volume of a cuboid, you simply multiply its three dimensions together: the length, the width, and the height. For example, if a box is 2 metres long, 3 metres wide, and 4 metres high, its volume would be 2 times 3 times 4, which equals 24. The units are also important. Because we multiplied metres by metres by metres, the unit for the volume is metres cubed, or cubic metres.

Now for the surface area of a cuboid. Remember, this is the total area of all its outside faces. A cuboid has six rectangular faces. They come in pairs: the front and back are the same size, the top and bottom are the same size, and the left and right sides are the same size. To find the total surface area, you work out the area of each of the three different-sized faces, double each one, and then add them all together.