5C

Surface area of prisms and pyramids

Using nets to find the total surface area of cubes, rectangular prisms, triangular prisms and square-based pyramids.

Prisms

Rectangular prism
$$SA = 2(lw + lh + wh)$$
Example 1●●

A triangular prism has a right-angled triangle end with sides $3$, $4$, $5$ cm and length $10$ cm. Find its surface area.

Two triangles: $2 \times \tfrac{1}{2} \times 3 \times 4 = 12$
Three rectangles: $10 \times (3 + 4 + 5) = 120$
$SA = 132$ cm²

Pyramids

A square pyramid has a square base and four identical triangles. Each triangle's height is the slant height, not the vertical height.

Example 2●●

A square pyramid has base $6$ cm and slant height $5$ cm. Find its surface area.

$36 + 4 \times \tfrac{1}{2} \times 6 \times 5 = 36 + 60 = 96$ cm²
Flashcards
Cube of side $s$
$6s^2$
Prism sides
Perimeter of end × length
Pyramid triangle height
Slant height
Practice
  1. Triangular prism, ends $3, 4, 5$ right triangle, length $10$. Surface area?

  2. Square pyramid, base $6$, slant height $5$. Surface area?

  3. Surface area of a cube with side $4$?

  4. Surface area of a $5 \times 3 \times 2$ rectangular prism?

  5. A cube has surface area $150$ cm². Side length?

  6. An open box (no top) is $4 \times 3 \times 2$. Outside surface area?

  7. Square pyramid, base $10$, slant height $13$. Surface area?

  8. For a pyramid's triangular faces you need the:

More questions

New numbers every time. Keep going until you get five in a row.

Formula sheet