Question 811786
The volume of the set of five cubes is the same, no matter how you arrange them.
You could figure the volume of each cube, and multiply times 5, or you could reason that the whole arrangement is a right rectangular prism with sides measuring 5cm, 5cm, and 25cm.
I like to think of them as individual cubes.
The volume of each cube is
{{{(5cm)(5cm)(5cm)=5^3}}}{{{cm^3}}}
and the total volume of the 5 cubes is
{{{5*5^3}}}{{{cm^3=5^4}}}{{{cm^3=highlight(625cm^3)}}}
 
To me, that calculation seems easier than calculating that the prism formed by the 5 cubes is {{{5*5cm=25cm{}}} long,
and then calculating the volume of the prism as
{{{(5cm)(5cm)(25cm)=625cm^3}}}