Surface Area
The boundary of three-dimensional objects consists of several two-dimensional shapes. The total area of these shapes is called the surface area of the object. It gives some idea of how large an object is, but now how much space it takes up. This is measured by volume, which we will discuss next. Watch this lecture series and complete the interactive exercises to practice calculating the surface area of rectangular prisms.
Practice
Surface area word problems - Questions
1. A group of students made trees out of paper for a scene in a school play. The trees are shaped like hollow square pyramids.
They created this net to represent the paper they needed per tree.
How much paper will it take to make each tree, including the bottom?
_________ cm2
2. Dmitri's mom is making him a tent to use for backyard camp outs with his friends.
She created this net to represent the material she needed.
How much material will Dmitri's mom need for the tent, including the floor?
_________ meters2
3. Stephanie just redecorated her bedroom. She wants to paint her door green but needs to know the surface area of the door to see if she has enough paint.
What is the surface area of the door?
_________ cm2
4. Amir is building a birdhouse that looks like a castle. The diagram shows the roof of the birdhouse. He plans to paint the roof red, but needs to know the surface area to buy the right amount of paint.
What is the surface area of the roof, including the bottom?
Give an exact answer (do not round).
_________ m2