Prism Basics
What is a prism?
A 3D shape with at least two identical, parallel bases.
What is the formula for the volume of a rectangular prism?
What does surface area measure?
The total area of all the faces of a 3D shape.
A cereal box is a rectangular prism. What measurement helps determine how much cereal it holds?
Volume
What unit is volume measured in?
Cubic units (e.g., cm³)
Name three types of prisms.
Triangular, rectangular, and hexagonal prisms.
A rectangular prism has a base of 4 cm × 3 cm and a height of 5 cm. What is the volume?
60 cm³
What is the formula for surface area of a rectangular prism?
SA = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
A gift box needs to be wrapped. What measurement helps decide how much wrapping paper is needed?
Surface Area
What unit is surface area measured in?
Square units (e.g., cm²)
What do all prisms have in common?
Identical bases, flat faces, and the same cross-section throughout.
A triangular prism has a base triangle with area 6 cm² and a height of 10 cm. Find the volume.
60 cm³
A cube has sides of 4 cm. What is the surface area?
96 cm²
A fish tank is 50 cm long, 30 cm wide, and 40 cm tall. How many cubic cm of water can it hold?
60,000 cm³
What’s the surface area of a cube with edge 6 cm?
6 × (6×6) = 216 cm²
Which part of the prism is used to find volume and surface area?
The base area and the height.
A prism has a volume of 120 cm³ and a base area of 10 cm². What is the height?
12 cm
A rectangular prism is 5 cm × 3 cm × 2 cm. Find the surface area.
62 cm²
A tent is shaped like a triangular prism. Why is knowing the surface area useful?
To calculate the amount of fabric needed.
True or False: A taller prism always has a greater surface area.
False – depends on dimensions of all sides.
How is a cylinder different from a prism?
A cylinder has circular bases, not polygons, so it's not technically a prism.
A hexagonal prism has a base area of 30 cm² and height 8 cm. What is the volume?
240 cm³
A triangular prism has two triangle bases (area = 6 cm² each) and three rectangular faces: 4×10, 3×10, 5×10. What is the surface area?
6 + 6 + 40 + 30 + 50 = 132 cm²
A storage container is a rectangular prism with volume 480 cm³ and base area 60 cm². How tall is it?
8 cm
Challenge! A triangular prism has triangle base (base 4 cm, height 3 cm), and length 12 cm. What is its volume?
Triangle base area = 6 cm²
Volume = 6 × 12 = 72 cm³