Identify the faces: Look at the prism and identify all the flat faces it has. For example, a rectangular prism has six faces: two rectangles as the bases and four rectangles as the sides.
Calculate the area of each face: For each face, find its individual area. To calculate the area of a rectangle, multiply its length by its width. If the prism has other shapes as faces, use the appropriate formulas to find their areas (e.g., for a triangular face, multiply base by height and divide by 2).
Add up the areas: Once you have found the area of each face, add them together to get the total surface area of the prism. Be sure to count each face only once.
Identify the faces: Look at the pyramid and identify all the faces it has. A pyramid has one base face, which is typically a polygon, and triangular faces that connect the base to a single vertex.
Calculate the area of the base: Determine the shape of the base (e.g., triangle, square, pentagon) and calculate its area using the appropriate formula.
Calculate the area of the triangular faces: Determine the number of triangular faces and calculate the area of each triangular face. To find the area of a triangle, multiply the base by the height and divide by 2.
Add up the areas: Add the area of the base and the areas of all the triangular faces together to find the total surface area of the pyramid.
Remember, surface area represents the total sum of all the areas of the faces of a 3D shape. By breaking down the shape into its individual faces and calculating their areas, we can find the surface area of prisms and pyramids. Keep practicing, and you’ll become a surface area expert in no time!
