To find the volume of a pyramid, we use the formula:
\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \times \text{base area} \times \text{height} \]
Since the pyramid has a square base, finding the base area is simply computing the area of a square. The area of a square is found by squaring its side length.
Given that the side length of the base is 5 inches, the area of the base (A) is:
\[ A = \text{side length}^2 = 5^2 = 25 \text{ square inches} \]
With the base area and the height of the pyramid known (the height being 3 inches), we can now plug these values into the volume formula:
\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \times 25 \times 3 \]
\[ V = \frac{1}{3} \times 75 \]
\[ V = 25 \]
So, the volume of the pyramid is 25 cubic inches.
