GRADE VI

FINDING THE VOLUME OF A PYRAMID WITH A

RECTANGULAR BASE

Objective: Find the volume of a pyramid with a rectangular base.

REVIEW

A. Find the area of the following figures. Write your answers in your notebook.

1. 2. 3.
w = 17 cm l = 19 m

l = 25 cm l = 20 cm
w = 12 m
w = 9 cm

B. Find the volume of the following square pyramids.

1. 2. 3.
h = 12 cm
h=9m
h = 12 cm
5m 15 cm
10 cm
5m 15 cm 10 cm

STUDY AND LEARN

You have learned from your previous lessons how to get the volume of a square pyramid.
This time, you will study how to get the volume of a rectangular pyramid.

1
 Bh
The general formula to get the volume of a pyramid is , where B stands for the area
3
of the base.

Example 1:
Look at the figure of the rectangular pyramid on the right.

 What is the height of the pyramid? (9 cm)

 What is the shape of the base? (rectangle)
 How do you know it is a rectangle? (because of
its dimensions)
 How do you get the area of a rectangle?
(length x width or l x w)

Now, let us solve for its volume.

The formula for finding the volume of a pyramid is:

Bh
V= , where B = area of the base
3

Since the base of the pyramid is a rectangle and the formula for the area of rectangle is
length times width, then we can replace B with l x w.

Bh
So, V = = lxwxh
3 3

So, let us find the volume of the pyramid above.

Bh
Given: l = 12 cm V=
3
=lxwxh
w = 8 cm 3
= (12 cm x 8 cm) x 9 cm
h = 9 cm 3 cm
2
= 96 cm x 9 cm
3
= 864 cm3
3
V = 288 cm3

2
We can also use cancellation for easier computation.
4
Bh l x w x h 12 cm x 8 cm x 9 cm = 32 cm2 x 9 cm = 288 cm3
V= = =
3 3 3
1
 Did we get the same answer?
 Which of the two methods do you prefer?

Now, do this problem:

What is the volume of a pyramid when its rectangular base is 23 m long, 18 m wide
and the height is 35 m?

Given: l = 23 m  Ask: Volume of the pyramid

w = 18 m Bh
h = 35 m  Plan: V = or l x w x h
3 3
 Solve: V = 23 m x 18 m x 35 m
3
= 414 m x 35 m
3
= 14 490 m
3
= 4 830 m3

Look back:

 Did you get the correct data?

 Did you follow the steps?
 Did you write the correct label?

TRY THESE

A. Find the volume of the following.

3
 1. 2. 6m 3.
12 cm 15 cm

18 m 9 dm
6 cm
10 cm 4 dm

B. Complete the table.

Area of
l w h Volume
the Base
1. 10 cm 7 cm 15 cm

2. 6 cm 12 cm 96 cm3
18 cm
3. 13 cm 260 cm2 1 560 cm3

C. Solve the problems.

1. A 20-cm high pyramid has a rectangular base with dimensions 15 cm by 9 cm and

a height of 20 cm. What is its volume?

2. A pyramid tent has a capacity of 160 m3 of air. If the base is 10 m by 8 m, find its
height.

WRAP UP

To get the volume of the pyramid, you multiply the area of the base by its
Bh
height, then divide the product by three. In symbol, V = , where B stands
3
for the area of the base.

We can also use, V = l x w x h for the volume of a rectangular pyramid.

3

4
 On Your Own

A. Find the volume. Write the solutions in your notebook.

1. 2. 3. 12 cm
10 cm 16 cm

6 cm 17 cm
15 cm
8 cm
16 cm 10 cm

B. Solve the problems.

1. A group of Grade VI pupils made a rectangular pyramid box for their math
project. It has a base of 7 cm by 5 cm and a height of 12 cm. What is its volume?

2. A tent is shaped like a pyramid with a base of 5 m by 3 m and a height of 2.5 m.

What is the volume of air that it enclosed?