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The main difference between volume and area is that volume refers to the space that is filled by a three-dimensional (3-D) form, while area refers to the region that is covered by a two-dimensional (2-D) shape. Area, which is given in square units, shows how much space there is inside a 2D shape like a square, circle, or triangle. When you measure the volume of a 3D shape like a cube, cylinder, or sphere, you use cubic units to show how much space it takes up. Both are important terms in mathematics and real life. Area is used to describe surfaces, and volume is used to describe the room inside objects. Keep reading to get more information about Volume and Area.
Table of Contents
What is Volume?
Volume is all about the amount of space occupied by three-dimensional (3D) objects. Let’s take an example of a box – the volume of the box is the space available inside it to hold things.
- 3D means things with length, width, and height. So, cubes, spheres, cylinders, and even a weird-shaped toy all have volume.
- The volume shows you how much stuff you could fit inside that object.
- We measure volume in cubic units, like cubic meters (m³), cubic centimetres (cm³), or even litres (L) for liquids.
| VOLUME = Length x Width x Height |
What is Area?
Area refers to the amount of space occupied by a flat-shaped object, like the surface of a table or a piece of paper. It’s like measuring the “footprint” of that shape that is space covered by the object. Here’s a breakdown to understand it better.
- Area applies to two-dimensional (2D) shape objects, meaning they have length and width but no height. Squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles are all examples.
- The area shows you how much material you would need to cover that entire flat surface completely.
- We measure the area in square units, like square meters (sq m) for floors or square centimetres (sq cm) for notebooks.
NOTE: An important thing to remember is that the area is different from the shape’s perimeter, which is the total length of all its sides added together. The area focuses on the space inside the shape, while the perimeter is the outline.
Also Read: Difference Between Power and Exponent: Complete Details
What is the Difference Between Volume and Area?
Here is the table that shows the difference between volume and area.
| Particular | Volume | Area |
| Definition | The measure of three-dimensional space | The measure of two-dimensional space |
| Dimension | Three-dimensional | Two-dimensional |
| Representation | Typically expressed in cubic units | Typically expressed in square units |
| Examples | Volume of a cube, cylinder, sphere, etc. | Area of a rectangle, circle, triangle, etc. |
| Calculation | Involves multiplication of three dimensions | Involves multiplication of two dimensions |
| Applications | Used in measuring the capacity, and size of solid objects | Used in measuring surface size, floor space, etc. |
Difference Between Volume and Area Formulas
Let’s have a look at formulas for the shapes of the various forms shown here:
Volume Formula Chart
| Geometric Shape | Formula (Volume = V) | Abbreviations |
| Cuboid | L × B × H | L= Length, B= Breadth, and H= Height |
| Cube | a3 | A = side |
| Right Prism | Area of Base × Height | – |
| Right Circular Cylinder | πr2h | r= radiush= Height |
| Right Pyramid | 1/3 × Base area × Height | – |
| Right Circular Cone | 1/3(πr2h) | r= radiush= Height |
| Spere | (4/3)πr3 | r= radius |
| Hemisphere | ⅔ (πr3) | r= radius |
Area Formula Chart
| Geometric Shape | Formula (Area = A) | Abbreviations |
| Rectangle | L x B | L= Length, B= Breadth, |
| Square | a2 | a= side |
| Triangle | ½ × b × h | b= base h= height |
| Parallelogram | b × h | b= base h= height |
| Rhombus | Side × Height | – |
| Circle | πr2 | r= radius |
| Semicircle | ½ πr2 | r= radius |
| Trapezoid | ½ (Sum of parallel side) × height | – |
Application of Difference Between Volume and Area in Real Life
Understanding the difference between volume and area is essential in various real-life applications, here are some examples.
For Volume
- Recipes often specify ingredients in volumes (cups, litres).
- Knowing the volume of a container like gas tanks and water bottles.
- Manufacturers use volume calculations to design boxes and containers.
- The volume of a pool helps determine the amount of water.
- Liquid medication is often measured in teaspoons or millilitres, which are units of volume.
For Area
- Calculating the wall area (length x width) helps you determine how much paint you need to cover the entire surface.
- Knowing the floor area (length x width) helps you buy the right amount of flooring materials like tiles and carpets.
- The area of your garden bed helps you decide how many plants you can comfortably it.
- Knowing the area of fabric you need.
- The area to be fenced (length x width) helps determine the amount of fencing material.
Also Read: What is the Difference Between Density and Weight?
Similarities Between Volume and Area
Area and volume are both like ways of measuring the size of something, but they focus on different aspects:
- Think of area like the size of a rug: It tells you how much space the rug covers on the floor. Area is like a two-dimensional measurement, like length times width.
- Volume is more like how much stuff you can fit on the rug: It considers the depth or height of the space. Imagine stacking boxes on the rug – volume tells you how many boxes you can fit before the pile reaches the ceiling. Volume is a three-dimensional measurement, like length times width times height.
So, both area and volume tell you about size, but area is about flat surfaces and volume is about how much space something fills in 3D.
Sample Questions on Volume and Area
- What is the area of a rectangle with length 6 units and width 4 units?
A) 20 square units
B) 24 square units
C) 16 square units
D) 10 square units
Answer: B) 24 square units
- Which formula is used to calculate the area of a triangle?
A) Length × Width
B) πr²
C) 1/2 × Base × Height
D) Length × Height
Answer: C) 1/2 × Base × Height
- What is the volume of a cube with a side length of 5 units?
A) 25 cubic units
B) 100 cubic units
C) 125 cubic units
D) 75 cubic units
Answer: C) 125 cubic units
- Which shape has the least surface area?
A) Sphere
B) Cylinder
C) Cone
D) Cube
Answer: A) Sphere
- What is the formula for finding the circumference of a circle?
A) πr
B) 2πr
C) πr²
D) 1/2 × πr²
Answer: B) 2πr
- What is the area of a circle with radius 7 units? (Use π = 3.14)
A) 154 square units
B) 154π square units
C) 49 square units
D) 98π square units
Answer: B) 154π square units
- What is the volume of a cylinder with radius 4 units and height 10 units? (Use π = 3.14)
A) 501.6 cubic units
B) 320 cubic units
C) 502.4 cubic units
D) 125.6 cubic units
Answer: A) 501.6 cubic units
- Which formula is used to calculate the volume of a cone?
A) 1/3 × Base Area × Height
B) Length × Width × Height
C) πr
D) πr²h
Answer: A) 1/3 × Base Area × Height
- What is the surface area of a cube with a side length of 3 units?
A) 27 square units
B) 36 square units
C) 54 square units
D) 9 square units
Answer: B) 36 square units
- The area of a trapezoid is calculated using which formula?
A) 1/2 × Base × Height
B) (Base1 + Base2) × Height / 2
C) Length × Width
D) πr²
Answer: B) (Base1 + Base2) × Height / 2
- What is the area of a parallelogram with base 10 units and height 8 units?
A) 80 square units
B) 18 square units
C) 40 square units
D) 64 square units
Answer: A) 80 square units
- What is the volume of a rectangular prism with length 6 units, width 4 units, and height 3 units?
A) 72 cubic units
B) 48 cubic units
C) 24 cubic units
D) 36 cubic units
Answer: B) 48 cubic units
- Which shape has the largest volume?
A) Sphere
B) Cylinder
C) Cone
D) Cube
Answer: B) Cylinder
- What is the area of a square with a side length of 12 units?
A) 48 square units
B) 144 square units
C) 24 square units
D) 36 square units
Answer: B) 144 square units
- What is the volume of a sphere with radius 5 units? (Use π = 3.14)
A) 523.33 cubic units
B) 104.67 cubic units
C) 392.5 cubic units
D) 314 cubic units
Answer: A) 523.33 cubic units
- What is the area of a trapezoid with bases of lengths 6 units and 10 units and a height of 8 units?
A) 80 square units
B) 64 square units
C) 56 square units
D) 96 square units
Answer: C) 56 square units
- What is the surface area of a cylinder with radius 3 units and height 7 units? (Use π = 3.14)
A) 197.78 square units
B) 131.96 square units
C) 142.8 square units
D) 264.96 square units
Answer: D) 264.96 square units
- The area of a circle is doubled if its radius is multiplied by what factor?
A) 2
B) 4
C) π
D) 1/2
Answer: A) 2
- What is the volume of a cone with radius 6 units and height 8 units? (Use π = 3.14)
A) 301.44 cubic units
B) 75.36 cubic units
C) 603.88 cubic units
D) 150.72 cubic units
Answer: B) 75.36 cubic units
- What is the surface area of a sphere with radius 4 units? (Use π = 3.14)
A) 201.12 square units
B) 200.96 square units
C) 201.44 square units
D) 200.64 square units
Answer: A) 201.12 square units
FAQ’s
There is no direct correlation between volume and area.
When referring to any particular thing, the surface area refers to the area or region that is occupied by the surface of the object. In contrast, volume refers to the quantity of space that is included inside an item.
The surface area of larger items is relatively tiny in comparison to their volume.5ttg m
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