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MATH 109 – SOLID MENSURATION

Prism
A prism is a polyhedron with two opposite faces which are polygons of the same size and
shape and parallel to each other; these faces are called bases. The
other faces (lateral) are parallelograms. If the lateral faces are
rectangles, then the solid is a right prism; the lateral faces will be at
right angles to the bases. If a prism is cut by a plane parallel to the
base, the cross-section of either exposed faces is congruent to that
of the base. The area of the cross-section is equal to the area of the
base. The length of an edge joining corresponding points on the
base and the upper face is the height of the prism.
A prism whose bases are enclosed by triangles is a
triangular prism; if the bases are enclosed by quadrilaterals, it is a quadrangular prism; if the bases
are enclosed by pentagon, it is called a pentagonal prism; and so on.
A prism whose
lateral edges are
perpendicular to the bases
is a right prism; a prism
whose lateral edges are
oblique to the bases is an oblique prism; and a right prism whose bases are enclosed by regular
polygons is called a regular prism.

Characteristics of a Prism
 The lateral edges of a prism are parallel and equal.
 The lateral faces of a prism are enclosed by parallelograms.
 The bases of a prism are enclosed by congruent polygons.
 Sections of a prism made by planes parallel to the base are congruent to the base.
 All right sections of a prism are congruent.
 The lateral area of a prism is equal to the product of a lateral edge and the perimeter of a right
section of the prism.
 The lateral area of a right prism is equal to the product of the altitude and the perimeter of the
base of the prism.

Properties of a Prism
 The lateral area is the sum of the areas of the remaining faces.
 The lateral edges are the intersection of the lateral faces. The lateral edges are equal and
parallel.
 The altitude of a prism is the perpendicular distance between the planes of its bases.
 A right section of a prism is a section perpendicular to the lateral edges.
 The lateral faces of a right prism are rectangles. Its lateral edges are perpendicular to the
bases.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 2

Formulas
The lateral area of a prism is equal to the sum of the areas of the faces, or simply equal to the
product of the lateral edge and the perimeter of the right section.

If e is the lateral edge, PR is the perimeter of a right section and A is the lateral area, then

A  ePR
For the lateral area of a right prism:
lateral area = altitude  permeter of the base

A  HPb
where H is the perpendicular distance between the bases; Pb is the perimeter of the base.

For the total area:

Total area = lateral area + area of two bases
Volume:
The volume of a prism is equal to the product of the area of a right section and lateral edge or
equal to the product of the area of a base and the altitude.
Let
V - Volume
e - Lateral edge
B - Area of one base

AR - Area of a right section

H - Altitude
then,

VARe or VBH

Problem 1. The lateral surface of a concrete octagonal pier of height 4 m. is to be resurfaced. If each of
the base edges is 1/3 m., how many square meters of surfacing will be required?

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 3

Problem 2. A prism has a cross-section that is an equilateral triangle of side 30 mm. If its length is 90
mm., find its volume.

Problem 3. The lateral area of a square prism is 400 sq. m. and the altitude is 5 m. What is the length of
the base edge?

Problem 4. Find the volume of a regular triangular prism if the side of its base is 3 m. and the lateral
area is equivalent to the sum of the two base areas of the prism.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 4

Problem 5. Find the volume of a regular octagonal prism if its lateral area is 1,600 sq. m. and its altitude
is 5 m.

Problem 6. A trough whose edges are isosceles trapezoids is 8 meters long, 3 meters wide at the top,
1.5 meters wide at the bottom, and 2 meters deep is to be filled with oil. Find the mass of the oil inside if
its density is 0.8 g/cu. cm.

Problem 7. One part of a quartz crystal is a hexagonal prism with a right section of 1.29 sq. in., an edge
of 2.31 in., and a base of 1.41 sq. in. Find the altitude of the prism.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 5

Problem 8. The bottom of a swimming pool is a plane which slopes gradually downward. The length of
the pool at the water line 20 m. and the width is 6 m. If the depth of the water at the shallower end is 2
m. and at the deeper end is 3 m., find the volume of the water in the swimming pool and the area at the
bottom.

Problem 9. A lead pencil whose ends are regular hexagons was cut from a cylindrical piece of wood,
with the least waste. If the original piece was 8 in. long and ½ in. in diameter, find the volume of the
pencil.

Problem 10. A contractor agrees to build a dam, 180 ft. long and 20 ft. high, 12 ft. wide at the bottom
and 8 ft. wide at the top, for $9.75 a cubic yard. Find his profit if his costs were $10,000.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 6

Problem 11. A regular hexagonal prism has a base edge of 12 cm. and an altitude of 32 cm. Find the
volume of the prism.

Problem 12. A triangular prism has a base which is an isosceles right triangle. If the longest side of the
base is 10 cm. and the height of the prism is 20 cm, find its volume.

Problem 13. Find the volume of the biggest triangular prism whose base is an equilateral triangle which
can be cut from a cylindrical log 1 m. long and ¼ m. in diameter.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 7

Problem 14. A trench is 180 ft. long and 12 ft. deep, 7 ft. wide at the top and 4 ft. at the bottom. How
many cubic yards of earth have been removed?

Problem 15. A football stand 150 yd. long has 20 tiers of seats; each tier has rise of 2 ft. and tread of 3
ft. It is constructed of reinforced concrete with a cross section as shown. Find the amount of material
used in its construction.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com
 8

Problem 16. The Pennsylvania Railroad found it necessary, owing to landslides upon the roadbed, to
reduce the angle of inclination of one bank of a certain railway cut near Pittsburgh, PA, from an original
angle of 40° to a new angle of 25°. The bank as it originally stood was 200 ft. long and had a slant
length of 60 ft. Find the amount of earth removed, if the top level of the bank remained unchanged.

Acorda, G., et al., (2005). Solid Mensuration (Workbook). Kumintang Ilaya, Batangas City: Feliber Publishing House
nd
Bland, J. R., & Kern W. F. (1938). Solid Mensuration. 2 Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Solid Mensuration, http://www.math-principles.com