Exploring Surface Area of Prisms

This video tutorial introduces students to 3D geometry, focusing on the concept of surface area. It explains how to calculate the surface area of prisms, specifically rectangular and triangular prisms, using nets and deconstructed nets. The tutorial emphasizes the use of calculators for computations and provides a practice question for students to solve independently.

What can you use to assist in solving problems throughout this chapter on 3D geometry?

• A calculator

• A ruler only

• No tools allowed

• A textbook only

What is the surface area of a 3D object?

• Volume of the object

• Area of one face of the object

• Sum of the areas of all faces of the object

• Length of the object

What is a 'net' in the context of 3D geometry?

• A type of mesh used in 3D modeling

• A 2D representation of a 3D figure

• A 3D graph

• A tool for measuring angles

How many faces does a rectangular prism have?

• Ten

• Eight

• Six

• Four

What is the first step in calculating the surface area of a rectangular prism if you cannot visualize the net?

• Calculate the volume

• Draw a deconstructed net

• Guess the measurements

• Ask for help

What is the total surface area of a rectangular prism with two 7x3 rectangles, two 4x3 rectangles, and two 7x4 rectangles?

• 140 square inches

• 130 square inches

• 110 square inches

• 122 square inches

Why are the units for surface area in square inches even though the geometry is three-dimensional?

• Because the calculation is incorrect

• Because all geometric measurements are in square units

• Because it's a typo

• Because the shapes are laid out flat

What shapes make up the net of a triangular prism?

• One rectangle and four triangles

• Two rectangles and three triangles

• Four rectangles and one triangle

• Three rectangles and two triangles

How do you calculate the area of a triangle in the context of surface area?

• Base times height times two

• Base plus height

• Base times height divided by two

• Base times height

What is the total surface area of a triangular prism with two 12x5 triangles, one 8x5 rectangle, one 12x8 rectangle, and one 13x8 rectangle?

• 300 square centimeters

• 290 square centimeters

• 310 square centimeters

• 320 square centimeters