IXL | Surface area of pyramids

A triangular pyramid is shown below.

Which diagram is a net for this pyramid?

What is the surface area of the triangular pyramid?

square inches

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Learn with an example

question

A rectangular pyramid is shown below.

Which diagram is a net for this pyramid?

What is the surface area of the rectangular pyramid?

square centimeters

key idea

A net shows all the faces of a three-dimensional figure.

A rectangular pyramid has a rectangular base and four triangular lateral faces. Its surface area is the sum of the areas of all five faces.

solution

Five faces make up the rectangular pyramid:

one square base with a side length of 17 centimeters
four triangular lateral faces, each with a base of 17 centimeters and a height of 10 centimeters

This is a net for the pyramid. It shows all of the faces and, when folded up, will form the pyramid.

To find the surface area of the pyramid, add up the areas of all five faces.

There is one square base with a side length of 17 centimeters. Find its area.

289

square centimeters

All four triangular faces have a base of 17 centimeters and a height of 10 centimeters. Find the area of one of them.

(

)

(

)

(

170

)

square centimeters

Finally, find the sum of the areas of the four triangular faces and the area of the square base.

(

)

289

340

289

629

The surface area of the rectangular pyramid is 629 square

centimeters.

Looking for more? Try these:

Lesson: What is surface area?

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Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

GG.6Area of triangles

HH.4Surface area of cubes and rectangular prisms

Lesson: What is surface area?

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