Area vs. Volume — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 24, 2024
Area measures the extent of a 2-dimensional surface, while volume quantifies the space a 3-dimensional object occupies.
Difference Between Area and Volume
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Area is defined as the measurement of the extent of a surface. It is calculated by multiplying the lengths of two sides (in the case of a rectangle) or by using other appropriate formulas for different shapes. This measurement is typically expressed in square units, such as square meters or square feet. Volume, on the other hand, measures the amount of space that a three-dimensional object occupies. It is determined by multiplying the area of the base by the height (for prisms or cylinders) or using specific formulas tailored to the shape of the object, and is expressed in cubic units, like cubic meters or cubic liters.
The calculation of area is crucial in various fields such as architecture, land development, and interior design, where understanding the extent of surfaces is necessary for planning, building, or decorating spaces. Volume calculation is essential in fields such as manufacturing, shipping, and chemistry, where the capacity of containers, the amount of materials needed, or the quantity of substances involved in reactions are of interest.
While the area is a concept that applies only to two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, circles, or triangles, volume applies to three-dimensional objects like cubes, spheres, and cylinders. This fundamental difference highlights the distinction between measuring flat surfaces and measuring the space contained within objects.
Understanding the difference between area and volume is essential for accurately assessing spaces and objects for construction, storage, manufacturing, and scientific calculations. For example, calculating the area of a room is necessary for determining how much paint is needed for the walls, whereas calculating the volume of a swimming pool is crucial for knowing how much water it can hold.
In practical applications, the area is often calculated to determine the size of land plots, the surface needed for installing flooring materials, or the amount of fabric required for making a dress. Volume calculations are commonly performed to determine the capacity of storage tanks, the amount of concrete required for a structure, or the dosage of medicine in a syringe.
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Comparison Chart
Dimensionality
2-dimensional (2D)
3-dimensional (3D)
Measurement
Measures the extent of a surface.
Measures the space an object occupies.
Units
Expressed in square units (e.g., square meters, square feet).
Expressed in cubic units (e.g., cubic meters, liters).
Application
Architecture, land development, interior design.
Manufacturing, shipping, chemistry.
Shapes
Applies to flat shapes like circles, squares, rectangles.
Applies to solid objects like cubes, spheres, cylinders.
Practical Use
Used to calculate the amount of paint needed for walls, the size of land plots.
Used to determine the capacity of containers, amount of materials needed.
Compare with Definitions
Area
Calculated in square units.
The living room's area is 50 square meters.
Volume
Calculated in cubic units.
The volume of the storage box is 0.5 cubic meters.
Area
Essential for spatial planning.
Knowing the area of a garden helps in planning its layout.
Volume
Vital in logistics and manufacturing.
The volume of products determines the size of packaging needed.
Area
Applies to two-dimensional spaces.
The area of a circle is determined by the formula πr^2.
Volume
Crucial for capacity assessment.
The volume of a water tank determines how much water it can hold.
Area
Important in real estate and construction.
The total area of the house influences its market value.
Volume
Pertains to three-dimensional objects.
The volume of a sphere is determined by the formula 4/3πr^3.
Area
The measure of the extent of a surface.
The area of a rectangle is calculated by multiplying its length by its width.
Volume
The measure of space a three-dimensional object occupies.
The volume of a cylinder is calculated by multiplying the area of its base by its height.
Area
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional region, shape, or planar lamina, in the plane. Surface area is its analog on the two-dimensional surface of a three-dimensional object.
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by a closed surface, for example, the space that a substance (solid, liquid, gas, or plasma) or 3D shape occupies or contains. Volume is often quantified numerically using the SI derived unit, the cubic metre.
Area
A roughly bounded part of the space on a surface; a region:a farming area; the New York area.
Volume
A collection of written or printed sheets bound together; a book.
Area
A surface, especially an open, unoccupied piece of ground:a landing area; a playing area.
Volume
One of the books of a work printed and bound in more than one book.
Area
A distinct part or section, as of a building, set aside for a specific function:a storage area in the basement.
Volume
A series of issues of a periodical, usually covering one calendar year.
Area
A division of experience, activity, or knowledge; a field:studies in the area of finance; a job in the health-care area.
Volume
A unit of written material assembled together and cataloged in a library.
Area
An open, sunken space next to a building; an areaway.
Volume
A roll of parchment; a scroll.
Area
Abbr. AThe extent of a planar region or of the surface of a solid measured in square units.
Volume
The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space, expressed in cubic units.
Area
(mathematics) A measure of the extent of a surface; it is measured in square units.
Volume
The capacity of such a region or of a specified container, expressed in cubic units.
Area
A particular geographic region.
Volume
Amount; quantity:a low volume of business; a considerable volume of lumber.
Area
Any particular extent of surface, especially an empty or unused extent.
The photo is a little dark in that area.
Volume
OftenvolumesA large amount:volumes of praise.
Area
The extent, scope, or range of an object or concept.
The plans are a bit vague in that area.
Volume
The amplitude or loudness of a sound.
Area
(British) An open space, below ground level, giving access to the basement of a house, and typically separated from the pavement by railings.
Volume
A control, as on a radio, for adjusting amplitude or loudness.
Area
(soccer) Penalty box; penalty area.
Volume
A three-dimensional measure of space that comprises a length, a width and a height. It is measured in units of cubic centimeters in metric, cubic inches or cubic feet in English measurement.
The room is 9x12x8, so its volume is 864 cubic feet.
The proper products can improve your hair's volume.
Area
(slang) Genitals.
Volume
Strength of sound; loudness.
Please turn down the volume on the stereo.
Volume can be measured in decibels.
Area
Any plane surface, as of the floor of a room or church, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building.
The Alban lake . . . looks like the area of some vast amphitheater.
Volume
The issues of a periodical over a period of one year.
I looked at this week's copy of the magazine. It was volume 23, issue 45.
Area
The inclosed space on which a building stands.
Volume
A bound book.
Area
The sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building.
Volume
A single book of a publication issued in multi-book format, such as an encyclopedia.
The letter "G" was found in volume 4.
Area
An extent of surface; a tract of the earth's surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas.
Volume
A great amount (of meaning) about something.
Area
The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle.
Volume
(obsolete) A roll or scroll, which was the form of ancient books.
Area
A spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area.
Volume
Quantity.
The volume of ticket sales decreased this week.
Area
Extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought.
The largest area of human history and man's common nature.
Volume
A rounded mass or convolution.
Area
A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography);
It was a mountainous area
Bible country
Volume
(economics) The total supply of money in circulation or, less frequently, total amount of credit extended, within a specified national market or worldwide.
Area
A particular environment or walk of life;
His social sphere is limited
It was a closed area of employment
He's out of my orbit
Volume
(computing) An accessible storage area with a single file system, typically resident on a single partition of a hard disk.
Area
A subject of study;
It was his area of specialization
Areas of interest include...
Volume
(bodybuilding) The total of weight worked by a muscle in one training session, the weight of every single repetition summed up.
Area
A part of a structure having some specific characteristic or function;
The spacious cooking area provided plenty of room for servants
Volume
(intransitive) To be conveyed through the air, waft.
Area
A part of an animal that has a special function or is supplied by a given artery or nerve;
In the abdominal region
Volume
(transitive) To cause to move through the air, waft.
Area
The extent of a 2-dimensional surface enclosed within a boundary;
The area of a rectangle
It was about 500 square feet in area
Volume
(intransitive) To swell.
Volume
A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients.
The papyrus, and afterward the parchment, was joined together [by the ancients] to form one sheet, and then rolled upon a staff into a volume (volumen).
Volume
Hence, a collection of printed sheets bound together, whether containing a single work, or a part of a work, or more than one work; a book; a tome; especially, that part of an extended work which is bound up together in one cover; as, a work in four volumes.
An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set.
Volume
Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil.
So glides some trodden serpent on the grass,And long behind wounded volume trails.
Undulating billows rolling their silver volumes.
Volume
Dimensions; compass; space occupied, as measured by cubic units, that is, cubic inches, feet, yards, etc.; mass; bulk; as, the volume of an elephant's body; a volume of gas.
Volume
Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone.
Volume
The amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object;
The gas expanded to twice its original volume
Volume
The property of something that is great in magnitude;
It is cheaper to buy it in bulk
He received a mass of correspondence
The volume of exports
Volume
Physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together;
He used a large book as a doorstop
Volume
A publication that is one of a set of several similar publications;
The third volume was missing
He asked for the 1989 volume of the Annual Review
Volume
A relative amount;
Mix one volume of the solution with ten volumes of water
Volume
The magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction);
The kids played their music at full volume
Volume
Volume:
Common Curiosities
How are area and volume measured?
Area is measured in square units (e.g., square meters), and volume is measured in cubic units (e.g., cubic meters).
What is the difference between area and volume?
Area measures the extent of a 2D surface, while volume measures the space a 3D object occupies.
Can a two-dimensional shape have a volume?
No, only three-dimensional objects have volume, as volume measures the space inside an object.
Can the same formula be used to calculate area and volume?
No, different formulas are used based on the shape of the object and whether it's a measurement of a surface (area) or a space (volume).
Why is it important to understand the difference between area and volume?
Understanding the difference is essential for accurate spatial assessment in construction, design, manufacturing, and science.
Do area and volume have practical applications in environmental science?
Yes, in environmental science, area measurements can be used to assess land use, while volume measurements are important for water resource management and pollution control.
How do applications of area and volume differ in real life?
Area calculations are commonly used in planning and designing flat surfaces, while volume calculations are crucial for determining the capacity of three-dimensional spaces or objects.
Is it possible to convert area measurements into volume measurements?
Direct conversion is not possible as they measure different properties, but volume can be calculated from area measurements if additional dimensions, like depth or height, are known.
Are area and volume calculations relevant in everyday life?
Yes, they are relevant in many everyday contexts, such as home renovation, cooking (e.g., measuring the volume of ingredients), and packaging.
How do area and volume relate to geometry and mathematics?
Area and volume are fundamental concepts in geometry and mathematics, providing the basis for calculating the size and space of various shapes and objects.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
