Surface Area of Triangular Prisms
Surface Area of Triangular Prism:
The following website has an interactive visual for the surface area formula of triangular prisms:
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/SurfaceAreaAndVolume/
•
To find the surface area of a triangular prism, using a net is helpful. Draw one of the triangular
bases with the measurement of each side written down and then draw rectangles from each site.
The length of each rectangle is the length of the triangular
prism.
•
Find the area of each piece, remembering that there are two triangles.
•
Add the areas together.
Example 1:
The area of the triangle is
6 x 8
which is 24 cm
2
.
2
Since there are two triangles multiply by 2:
48 cm
2
The area of the three rectangles are:
8 cm x 12 cm =
96 cm
2
6 cm x 12 cm =
72 cm
2
10 cm x 12 cm =
120 cm
2
Add these to get the surface area:
336 cm
2
12 cm
12 cm
12 cm
10
cm
8
cm
6
cm
Surface Area
Practice
N
ame: ____________________________
Solve each problem below
!
1. Find the surface area of the triangular prism
below:
Surface Area = ___________ in
2
2.
How much canvas would be needed for the
tent below.
Surface Area
= ___________ m
2
3.
A candy bar is in the shape of a triangular
prism with a height of 6 inches. Each side of the
triangle is 1 inch with a height of 0.8 in. How
much paper will be needed for the wrapping?
Surface Area = ___________ in
2
4. A
block of ch
eese is in the shape of a
triangular
prism
shown below
. What is the
minimum amount of
wrapping needed to cover
the
cheese?
Surface Area
= ___________ cm
2