Math & Worksheets

Word problems 12: volume, probability, and solids

Questions 52–54 with worked answers and printable practice.

Show your method. A calculator is optional. Prices, rates, and scenarios are fictional arithmetic examples.

  1. A cone and a cylinder have the same radius and height. Which has greater volume, and by what factor?

  2. A bag has one purple, two orange, and four white counters. A single counter is chosen at random, with each equally likely. What is the probability it is white?

  3. Which solid best models a rectangular brick: sphere, cone, or rectangular prism?

Answers and explanations
  1. The cylinder, B, has three times the cone’s volume: πr²h compared with ⅓πr²h.
  2. 4/7, since four of the seven counters are white.
  3. Rectangular prism. The old test offered “rectangle,” a two-dimensional shape, instead of the appropriate solid.

Adapted from Rick’s Math Word Problems Test, page 12. Wording and answer explanations have been revised; original diagrams are labeled as recovered. This is a practice sheet, not a standardized assessment.

Sources & further reading

Source links are provided for editorial review. Recovered historical text has not been independently verified.