Need Help?

Get in touch with us

searchclose
bannerAd

Pyramids and Cones Surface Area

Grade 9
Sep 13, 2022
link

Key Concepts

  • Find the area of a lateral face of a pyramid.
  • Find the surface area of a pyramid.
  • Find the lateral area of a cone.

Introduction

Regular Pyramid

A regular pyramid has a base that is a regular polygon, and the altitude has an endpoint at the center of the base.   

Regular Pyramid: 

Lateral Faces 

Faces that meet at the vertex. In a regular pyramid, they are all congruent isosceles triangles. 

Vertex

The point where the lateral faces meet. 

Nonregular Pyramid

Nonregular pyramid

Lateral Edge

The intersection of two lateral faces. All the lateral edges are congruent in a regular pyramid.   

Slant Height

The height of each lateral face,

parallel

Find the area of a lateral face of a pyramid 

Example 1: 

The lateral faces of the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee, are covered with steel panels. Use the diagram of the arena to find the area of each lateral face of this regular pyramid. 

Find the area of a lateral face of a pyramid 
Find the area of a lateral face of a pyramid 

Solution:  

Use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the slant height of the pyramid. 

Solution:  

(Slant height)2 = h2 + ( 1/2 s)2 (Write formula) 

parallel

(Slant height)2 = 3212 + 1502 (Substitute for h and 1/2s) 

(Slant height)2 = 125,541 (Simplify) 

Slant height = √125,541 (Write formula) 

Slant height ≈ 354.32 (Find the positive square root) 

So, the area of each lateral face is 1/2

(base of the lateral face) (slant height), or about

1/2(300) (354.32). 

That is about 53,148 square feet. 

Find the surface area of a pyramid 

Example 2: 

Find the surface area of a regular pyramid shown. 

Example 2: 

Solution: 

To find the surface area of the regular pyramid shown, start by finding the area of the base. 

Use the formula for the area of a regular polygon, 1/2(apothem)(perimeter). A diagram of the base is shown in the following picture. 

Solution: 

After substituting, the area of the base is 1/2(3√3)(6 × 6) = 54√3 square meters. 

Now we can find the surface area by using 54√3 for the area of the base, B. 

S = B + 1/2

Pl à Formula for the surface area of a regular pyramid 

= 54√3 + 1/2 (36)(8) (Substitute known values)  

= 54√3 + 144 (Simplify)  

≈ 237.5 (Use a calculator) 

The surface area of the regular pyramid is about 237.5 m2

Find the lateral area of a cone 

Cone

A circular cone, or cone, has a circular base and a vertex that is NOT in the same plane as the base. The altitude or height is the perpendicular distance between the vertex and the base. 

Right cone

In a right cone, the height meets the base at its center, and the slant height is the distance between the vertex and a point on the base edge. 

Right cone: 

Slant height of a right cone

The distance between the vertex and a point on the edge of the base. 

Surface Area of a Right Cone

The surface area S of a right cone is S = pr2 + prl, where r is the radius of the base and l is the slant height. 

Lateral surface area

The lateral surface of a cone consists of all segments that connect the vertex with points on the base edge. 

Lateral surface area: 

Example 3: 

Find the lateral area of the following cone. 

Example 3: 

Solution: 

To find the slant height l, use the Pythagorean Theorem.  

l 2 = 122 + 52, so l = 13 ft. 

Find the lateral area.  

Lateral area = πrl (Write formula)

= π(5)(13) (Substitute known values) 

= 204.1 (Simplify and use a calculator)  

The lateral area of the cone is about 204.1 square feet. 

Exercise

  1. __________________ is a polyhedron with one base.
  2. Find the slant height of the right cone.
Find the slant height of the right cone.
  1. Name the figure that is represented by the net. Then find its surface area and round the result to one decimal place.
Then find its surface area and round the result to one decimal place.
  1. Find the surface area of the following cone.
Find the surface area of the following cone.

Ans: The surface area is 40p square inches or about 125.7 square inches.

  1. Find the lateral area of a right cone with a radius of 9 cm and a slant height of 5 cm.
  2. Find the surface area of a right cone with a radius of 9 cm and a slant height of 5 cm.
  3. Find the lateral area of each lateral face of the regular pyramid. Then find the surface area of the pyramid.
Find the surface area of the regular shape.
  1. Find the surface area of the regular shape.
Find the surface area of the regular shape.
  1. Find the surface area of the regular shape.
Find the surface area of the regular shape.
  1. The Great Pyramid of Giza is a regular square pyramid. It is estimated that when the pyramid was first built, each base edge was 230.4 meters long, and the slant height was 186.4 meters long. Find the lateral area of a square pyramid with those dimensions.
Find the lateral area of a square pyramid with those dimensions.

Concept Map

Concept Map

What have we learned

  • Find the area of a lateral face of a pyramid using the formula.
  • Find the surface area of a pyramid using the formula.
  • Find the lateral area of a cone using the formula.
Pyramids and Cones Surface Area

Comments:

Related topics

Addition and Multiplication Using Counters and Bar-Diagrams

Addition and Multiplication Using Counters & Bar-Diagrams

Introduction: We can find the solution to the word problem by solving it. Here, in this topic, we can use 3 methods to find the solution. 1. Add using counters 2. Use factors to get the product 3. Write equations to find the unknown. Addition Equation: 8+8+8 =? Multiplication equation: 3×8=? Example 1: Andrew has […]

Read More >>
DILATION

Dilation: Definitions, Characteristics, and Similarities

Understanding Dilation A dilation is a transformation that produces an image that is of the same shape and different sizes. Dilation that creates a larger image is called enlargement. Describing Dilation Dilation of Scale Factor 2 The following figure undergoes a dilation with a scale factor of 2 giving an image A’ (2, 4), B’ […]

Read More >>
Numerical Expressions

How to Write and Interpret Numerical Expressions?

Write numerical expressions What is the Meaning of Numerical Expression? A numerical expression is a combination of numbers and integers using basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. The word PEMDAS stands for: P → Parentheses E → Exponents M → Multiplication D → Division  A → Addition S → Subtraction         Some examples […]

Read More >>
System of linear inequalities

System of Linear Inequalities and Equations

Introduction: Systems of Linear Inequalities: A system of linear inequalities is a set of two or more linear inequalities in the same variables. The following example illustrates this, y < x + 2…………..Inequality 1 y ≥ 2x − 1…………Inequality 2 Solution of a System of Linear Inequalities: A solution of a system of linear inequalities […]

Read More >>

Other topics