What is the volume formula for a rectangular prism?

The volume formula for a rectangular prism is derived from the definition of volume, which measures the amount of space an object occupies. For a rectangular prism, the volume is calculated by multiplying three dimensions: length, width, and height.

This formulation makes sense because:

1. Length represents one dimension of the prism, extending in one direction.

2. Width represents another dimension, extending in a perpendicular direction to length.

3. Height accounts for the vertical dimension, extending upward from the base.

When you multiply these three dimensions together (length × width × height), you effectively compute the total number of cubic units that can fit inside the prism, giving you its volume.

In contrast, the other options either neglect to account for all three dimensions or misunderstand how to calculate volume. For instance, adding or using a formula that involves addition instead of multiplication does not capture the spatial volume of an object. Thus, the correct formula for the volume of a rectangular prism is indeed length × width × height.