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Volumes and surface areas

of 3D shapes
Prism
A prism is a solid shape that has the same shape or cross-section all along its length.
A prism takes its name from the shape of its cross-section

Triangular prism Hexagonal prism

To find the volume of a prism, use the formula

V = Area of cross-section × height
To find the surface area of a prism, calculate the area of each face and add them together.

Cylinder
A cylinder is a special case of a prism, with cross-section a circle.

The volume of a cylinder where the radius of the circular cross-section

is r and the height is h is V = πr2 × h

To calculate the surface area of a cylinder, open out the curved surface into a rectangle:

To find the curved surface area use the formula CSA = 2πrh

To find the surface area of a whole cylinder, find the curved surface area and add on the areas of
the two circular ends:
Total surface area = 2πrh + 2πr2
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Sphere
The formula for the volume of a sphere with radius r is

4 2
V = πr
3

The formula for the surface area of a sphere is

SA = 4πr2

Pyramid
Any solid that has a flat base and which comes up to a point (the vertex) is a pyramid.

A pyramid takes its name from the shape of its base.

Square based pyramid Triangle-based pyramid

To find the surface area of a pyramid, add together the areas of all the faces.
The volume of a pyramid with height h is

1
V = × base area × h
3

Cone
A cone is a special type of pyramid with a circular base.

The volume of a cone with a circular base of radius r and perpendicular height h is given by the
formula

1
V = × πr 2 × h
3

The curved surface area of a cone uses the length of the slanted height l
CSA = πr × l
To find the whole surface area of the cone, add the area of the circular base
SA = πr × l + πr2

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Example 1
ABCDEF is a wedge
Angle ABC = 90°
AB = 5 cm, BC = 8 cm and CD = 12 cm
Calculate the volume of ABCDEF.
Answer
Area of triangular cross-section Calculate the area of the cross-section

1
= ×5×8 =20
2
Volume of wedge Volume of prism = area of cross-section × length
= 20 × 12 = 240 cm 2

Exercise

1 Find the surface area of each shape.

2 Calculate the volume of each shape.

3 Find the height of a cone that has a radius of 2 cm and a volume of 23 cm3.

4 A cylinder has a volume of 2120.6 cm3 and a base radius of 5 cm. What is the volume of a cone
with the same height but a base radius of 2.5 cm?

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5 Determine the surface area and volume of each sphere.

a b

6 A hemisphere sits on top of a cylinder. Find the surface area and volume.

7 Eight basketballs are put into a holding container. The radius of each basketball is 10 cm. The
container is shaped like a square-based pyramid with each side of the base measuring 40 cm
and with a height of 70 cm. How much space is left in the container?

8 A cylindrical can has a diameter of 9 cm and is 14 cm high.

Calculate the volume and surface area of the can to the nearest tenth of a centimetre.

9 Calculate the height of a cylinder that has a volume of 250 cm3 and a radius of 5.5 cm.

10 A cylindrical cardboard tube is 60 cm long and open at both ends. Its surface area is 950 cm2.
Calculate its radius to the nearest tenth of a centimetre.

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Answers

1 Pyramid = 161 cm2, Cylinder = 107.8 cm2, Cone = 175.9 cm2

2 Pyramid = 24 cm3, Cylinder = 85.15 cm3, Cone = 254.47 cm3

3 h = 5.49 cm

4 530.144 cm3

5 a Surface area = 153.938 cm2, Volume = 179.594 cm3

b Surface area = 2827.433 cm2, Volume = 14137.167 cm3

6 Surface area = 527.788 cm2, Volume = 1017.876 cm3

7 3823.012 cm3

8 Surface area = 523.1 cm2, Volume = 890.6 cm3

9 h = 2.63 cm

10 r = 2.6 cm

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