Everything Maths Grade 10

Worked example 3: Finding the surface area of a triangular prism

QUESTION

Find the surface area of the following triangular prism:

12 cm

8 cm

3 cm

SOLUTION

Step 1: Sketch and label the net of the prism

8 cm

3 cm

8 cm

Step 2: Find the area of the different shapes in the net

To find the area of the rectangle, we need to calculate its length, which is equal to the perimeter of the triangles.

To find the perimeter of the triangle, we have to first find the length of its sides using the theorem of Pythagoras:

3 cm

8 cm

x

Chapter 13. Measurements 423