How to Find the Surface Area of Prisms
Label as many sides as you can.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Label as many sides as you can.
The nice thing about prisms is that the matching end pairs make it easy to determine a lot of the individual measurements without having to solve for anything.
Any measurement that is given for one of the end shapes (ex. height of the triangle, radius of the circle) also applies to the matching shape at the other end.
Moreover, if you know the length of one side of the prism, you know the length of all the sides.
Distribute these numbers as necessary around your prism to see what you have to work with.
Detailed Guide
The nice thing about prisms is that the matching end pairs make it easy to determine a lot of the individual measurements without having to solve for anything.
Any measurement that is given for one of the end shapes (ex. height of the triangle, radius of the circle) also applies to the matching shape at the other end.
Moreover, if you know the length of one side of the prism, you know the length of all the sides.
Distribute these numbers as necessary around your prism to see what you have to work with.
About the Author
Douglas Simmons
Enthusiastic about teaching home improvement techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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