Exploring Formulas of

Three-Dimensional Figures

Kari Jung
Applied Math - Unit 8
Warner High School
 Rectangular Prisms h

l w
• What two-dimensional shapes make up a rectangular prism?
• Rectangles

• Which sides are the same?

• Front/Back
• Right/Left
• Top/Bottom
Rectangular Prisms, cont.
• What is the formula for finding the area of each side?
Front/Back:
l·h
h
Right/Left:
w·h w
l
Top/Bottom:
l·w
• Now put it all together to find total surface area of
the rectangular prism.
2lh + 2wh + 2lw = TSA of rectangular prisms
 Cubes
• A cube is a rectangular prism. What specifically do
we know about cubes?
All the sides are the same lengths

s
• What is the area of 1 face?
s · s or s2
s
s
• How many faces does a cube have?
6 faces

• What is the Total Surface Area of a Cube?

6s2 = TSA of a cube
 Cylinders
• What shapes make up a cylinder?
circles
rectangle

• How do you find the area of one base?

r r2
2r
• What is the area of the rectangle? h
2rh

• What is the total surface area of the cylinder?

2r2 + 2rh = TSA of a cylinder
 Let’s Practice
• Imagine the room we are in as a rectangular solid,
without any windows or doors. Suppose the room is 40
feet long, 24 feet wide, and 10 feet high. Draw a sketch
of the room and find the total surface area of the room.

• A number cube has sides that are 3 cm long. Draw a

sketch of the number cube and find its surface area.

• Joe is working on building a silo. It is about 20 feet in

diameter and about 30 feet tall, with a cone on top.
Draw a sketch and find how much metal it will take to
make the side of the silo only?
 Identify the 3-Dimensional Figures
What 3-dimensional shapes do you see in the
pictures on this page?