Area & Volume Definitions

Definitions

The Area is defined as the total space taken up by a flat two dimensional surface or shape of an object. The Area of a shape is the sum of unit squares that cover the surface of a closed figure. A closed figure is any shape that has three straight lines joined together to form a boundary. This is why Area is measured in units such as m². If we think of a line in a single dimension, a line has a distance from point A to point B. Since this is in one dimension, a straight line would have a dimension of one and a unit of just meters. Since Area deals with a closed space, the Area of a shape would be of dimension two since the shape would be on a two dimensional plane with x and y components.

The Volume is defined as the total space taken up by a three dimensional solid. Different shapes have different Volumes. The Volume of an object is the sum of unit squares that cover the space of a closed solid. A closed solid is any shape that consists of a length, width and height. This is why Volume is measured in units such as m^3. If we think of a line in a single dimension, a line has a distance from point A to point B. Since this is in one dimension, a straight line would have a dimension of one and a unit of just meters. Since area deals with a closed flat space, the area of a shape would be of dimension two since the shape would be on a two dimensional plane with x and y components. Lastly, since Volume deals with a closed solid object, the Volume of an object would be of dimension three since the object exists in a three dimensional world with x, y, and z components.

Go Back to Area and Volume Page