The volume of a sphere of diameter 1 unit is _________ than the volume of a cube of side 1 unit.
A. Least B. Less C. Lesser D. Low
GATE 2016 · General Aptitude · Most Appropriate Word · medium
Answer: The correct answer is 'Less' (B).
Verify the numerical relationship: Volume of sphere with diameter 1 = (4/3) * pi * (0.5)^3 = pi/6 ≈ 0.524. Volume of cube with side 1 = 1^3 = 1. So sphere volume (0.524) < cube volume (1).
Select the grammatically correct comparative: The sentence uses '... than ...', which requires a comparative. 'Less' is the standard comparative of 'little' for quantities. 'Least' is superlative. 'Lesser' means inferior in rank and is not idiomatic here. 'Low' is not comparative.