A triangular prism with a right triangular bases. What is the surface area of the prism?

Question

one leg of the base is 6 inches and the other is 8 inches and the height of the prism is 7 inches.

Answer 1

Hi Lizzy,

 

The surface of the prism will be the sum of the bases' area plus the lateral surface area.

 

Base area is 6*8/2 = 24 in^2. There are two triangles so 2*24 = 48 in^2

The lateral surface area is equal to height times the sides of the base. 

7*(6+8+10) = 168 in^2 The hypotenuse of the base triangle is 10 in. I used the Pythagorean Theorem to find it. 6^2 + 8^2 = x^2

36+64 = x^2

x =10 in

 

Surface area = 48 + 168 = 216 in^2

Answer 2

See Kemal's answer above.