Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics (5733)GeometryMedium
A chef is baking a cake that requires a pan in the shape of a cube. If the side length of the pan is 8 inches, what is the volume of the cake pan?
- A512 cubic inches
- B256 cubic inches
- C32 cubic inches
- D64 cubic inches
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. 512 cubic inches
The volume of a cube is found by cubing its side length (side × side × side). For a side length of 8 inches, the volume is 8³ = 8 × 8 × 8 = 512 cubic inches.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. This is 8 to the power of 2.5, not the volume of the cube.
- C. This is 4 times the side length, not the volume.
- D. This is the area of one face (side squared), not the volume of the cube.
Volume of a Cube
The volume of a cube is the amount of three-dimensional space it occupies, calculated by raising its side length to the power of three.
- A cube has equal length, width, and height.
- Units for volume are always cubic units (e.g., cubic inches, cubic meters).
- Formula: Volume = side³.
Memory trick: Cubes hold volume by multiplying their side, side, side.