Chapter 6

Measurement of Area and Volume

Area is the flat space a shape covers. Volume is the space a thing takes up. Let us measure!

What is area?

Area is the amount of flat space a shape covers. The top of your table, a page in your book and the floor all have an area. A bigger flat surface has a bigger area.

We can measure area by counting how many equal squares fit on the surface. Area is written in square units.

Example

If a shape covers 6 equal squares, its area is 6 square units. A shape that covers 10 squares is bigger.

What is volume?

Volume is how much space an object or a liquid takes up. A big box has more volume than a small box.

To measure the volume of water, we pour it into a measuring cylinder and read the number. Liquid volume is often measured in millilitres (ml).

Remember

  • Area = flat space a shape covers (square units).
  • Volume = space taken up (ml or cubes).
  • Bigger things have more area or more volume.

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