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How to Find the Volume & Area of a Rectangle

A rectangle has four sides and four right angles, which means the both pairs of sides will be parallel. However, the pairs of sides can be of different lengths --- unless the rectangle is a square, in which all four sides are congruent. Since a rectangle is a two-dimensional shape, it has an area, but not a volume. However, if you have a rectangular prism, such as a box, you can find the area of the rectangular side of the box and then the volume of the box as a whole.

Ruler
Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the length and the width of the rectangle. For example, a rectangle may measure 4 inches by 9 inches.
- 2
  Multiply the length of the rectangle by the width of the rectangle to find the area of the rectangle. In this example, multiply 4 by 9 to get 36 square inches.
- 3
  Measure the depth of the rectangular prism. For example, a rectangular prism may have a depth of 7 inches.
- 4
  Multiply the area by the depth to find the volume of a rectangular prism. In this example, multiply 36 by 7 to get 252 cubic inches.

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