Package Volume at the Post Office

Measure volume by counting unit cubes in cubic inches, centimeters, feet, and more.

Part 1: Count the cubes

Postal workers measure each package by packing it with cubes, with no gaps and no overlaps. Count every cube, including the ones hidden in the back. Write each volume in the unit given.

Ella packs this small package with 1-inch cubes. Each cube has a volume of 1 cubic inch.

What is the volume of the package? cubic inches

Marcus packs a jewelry box with 1-centimeter cubes. Each cube has a volume of 1 cubic centimeter.

What is the volume of the jewelry box? cubic centimeters

Hana packs this package with 1-inch cubes. She counts the cubes one layer at a time.

How many cubes are in the top layer?
How many layers of cubes are there?
What is the volume of the package? cubic inches

Ivy has no inch cubes or centimeter cubes, so she packs a gift box with dice. All the dice are the same size, and there are no gaps.

What is the volume of the gift box, measured in dice? dice

Omar packs a different box full with 1-inch cubes. It holds 12 cubes, so its volume is 12 cubic inches. Ivy says her gift box and Omar's box must have the same volume because each one holds 12 cubes. Is Ivy right?

A. Yes, because each box holds 12 cubes.B. Yes, because dice are cubes, too.C. No. A die may not be the same size as a 1-inch cube, so 12 dice and 12 cubic inches may not be the same volume.

Part 2: Finish and compare

Count the cubes to find each volume. Then compare.

Mr. Diaz is packing a tall box with 1-inch cubes. He has packed the bottom 3 layers. The labels tell how many cubes fit along each edge of the box.

How many cubes are in the box now?
How many more cubes does Mr. Diaz need to fill the box?
What is the volume of the box when it is full? cubic inches

Each package is packed with 1-inch cubes. Sort the packages by volume.

Package R and Package S are each packed with 1-centimeter cubes.
Package RPackage S

Which package has the greater volume? Write R or S.
How many cubic centimeters greater is its volume?

Part 3: Big cubes and small cubes

Think about the size of each unit cube. Remember that 1 foot is 12 inches.

Jamal packs a big shipping crate with 1-foot cubes. Each cube has a volume of 1 cubic foot.

What is the volume of the crate? cubic feet

10.

Jamal empties the same crate. Then he packs it again, this time with 1-inch cubes, with no gaps and no overlaps. Which sentence is true?

A. He needs fewer than 12 cubes.B. He needs exactly 12 cubes.C. He needs many more than 12 cubes.

11.

Rosa wants to measure the volume of a small box by packing it with cubes. The box is 4 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 2 inches tall. Which cubes are too big to fit inside the box?

A. 1-centimeter cubesB. 1-foot cubesC. 1-inch cubes

12.

Nadia packs this package with 1-inch cubes.She writes, "The volume is 15 inches." What is wrong with her answer? Write the correct volume.