CHAPTER 3

SOLID GEOMETRY: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS

At the end of the chapter, students are expected to

 Identify different geometric solids.

 Explore the properties and attributes of two and three dimensional figures.
 Apply the concepts of geometric solids to various real-life problems in the
world around them.

3.1 Basic Concepts of Solids

3.2 Measurements of Solids

The world around us is obviously three-dimensional (Euclidean space) having height, width,
and depth. Understanding solids is a building block for finding their lateral area, surface area,
and measurements of volumes of various solid figures. These include pyramids, cylinders,
cubes, cones, spheres and prisms.

3.1 Basic concept of Solids

A solid is a three-dimensional figure bounded by surfaces or plane figures.

Some Types of Solids

The following are the most familiar types and useful solids.
1. Right Circular Cylinder – it is solid or circular right section in which the centers of the
two circular bases lie on a single line.
2. Pyramid – it is a solid whose base is a polygon and whose lateral faces are triangles which
meet at a common vertex.
3. Cone – it resembles a pyramid but with a circular base.
4. Sphere – it is a solid in which all points on its surface are equidistant from its center.

MAIN ELEMENTS OF SOLID MENSURATION:

1. Volume – amount of space the solid occupies. The unit of measure for volume is in
cubic length.
2. Surface Area – area of the surface of a three-dimensional figure or solid.
 Lateral Area of a Solid – area the lateral or side surfaces of a solid.
 Total Surface Area of a Solid – total area of all surfaces (which include the
bases and the lateral surface) that bound the solid.
 SIMILAR FIGURES
Two solids are said to be similar if they have the same number of faces that are similarly
placed, and whose corresponding linear dimension (such as length, height, radius, etc.) are
proportional.
𝑦2
Properties of Similar Solids
𝑦1

𝑥2 𝐴2
𝑥1 𝐴1

𝑉1 𝑉2

1. Corresponding linear dimensions of any two similar solids have the same ratio.
𝑥1 𝑦1
=
𝑥2 𝑦2

2. The ratio of the areas of similar plane figures or similar surfaces is equal to the square
of the ratio of any two corresponding dimensions.
𝐴1 𝑥1 2 𝑦1 2
=( ) =( )
𝐴2 𝑥2 𝑦1

3. The ratio of the volumes of two similar solids is equal to the cube of the ratio of any
two corresponding dimensions.
𝐴1 𝑥1 2 𝑦1 2
=( ) =( )
𝐴2 𝑥2 𝑦1

3.2 Measurements of Solids

3.2.1 Prisms

A prism is a type of polyhedron whose congruent bases lie in parallel planes.

 Right Prism – is a prism whose lateral faces or lateral edges are perpendicular to
the bases.
 Regular Prism – is a right prism whose bases are regular polygon.
 Oblique Prism – is a prism whose lateral faces and lateral edges are not
perpendicular to its bases.

Parts of a Prism
1. Base – is the planes where the two-dimensional shape or polygon begins and ends.
2. Lateral faces – is a surface on the sides of a prism.
3. Lateral edges – is the intersection of lateral faces of a prism.
4. Altitude/Height – is the distance between the bases.
Properties of a Prism

1. The lateral faces of a prism are either rectangles or parallelograms. If each base of
a right prism is a regular polygon of n sides, the prism contains n number of
congruent lateral faces which are rectangles.
2. The sections of a prism made by parallel planes intersecting all the lateral edges
are congruent polygons.
3. The bases of a prism are congruent polygons.
4. Every section made by a plane parallel to the base is congruent to the base.
5. The lateral edges of a prism are parallel and equal.

Types of Prism

Cube Rectangular Regular Square Triangular Regular Regular

Prism Prism Prism Pentagonal Hexagonal
Prism Prism

LATERAL SURFACE AREA OF A PRISM:

𝑳𝑺𝑨 = 𝑷𝒆

Where 𝑳𝑺𝑨 is the lateral surface area, 𝑷 is the perimeter of a right section, and 𝒆 is the
length of a lateral edge.

TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF A PRISM:

𝑻𝑺𝑨 = 𝑳𝑺𝑨 + 𝟐𝑩

Where 𝑻𝑺𝑨 is the total surface area, 𝑳𝑺𝑨 is the lateral surface area, and 𝑩 is the area of
one base.

VOLUME OF A PRISM:

𝑽 = 𝑩𝒉

where 𝑽 is the volume of a prism, 𝑩 is the area of the base, and 𝒉 is the height of the
prism.
 For oblique Prism:
𝑽 = 𝑩𝒉 = 𝑹𝒆

where 𝑽 is the volume of a prism, 𝑹 is the area of a right section, and 𝒆 is the length of the
lateral edge with the inclination 𝜽 measured with respect to plane 𝑩. Since 𝑩𝒉 = 𝑹𝒆 and 𝒉 =
𝒆 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽, then 𝑹 = 𝑩 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽.

Example 1. Find the lateral area and the total surface area of the right triangular prism.

Use Pythagorean Theorem to find the value of 𝒙:

𝑥 2 = (6 𝑐𝑚)2 + (8 𝑐𝑚)2
𝑥 2 = 100 𝑐𝑚2
12 cm √𝑥 2 = √100 𝑐𝑚2
𝑥 = 10 𝑐𝑚

x
Perimeter of base: Since height of prism:
8 cm 6 cm 𝑃 = 6 𝑐𝑚 + 8 𝑐𝑚 + 10 𝑐𝑚 ℎ = 12 𝑐𝑚
𝑃 = 24 𝑐𝑚

Lateral Surface Area: Area of the (triangular) base:

1
𝐿𝑆𝐴 = 𝑃𝑒, since 𝑟 = ℎ 𝐵 = 𝑏ℎ
2
1
= (24 𝑐𝑚)(12 𝑐𝑚) = (6𝑐𝑚)(8 𝑐𝑚)
2
𝐿𝑆𝐴 = 288 𝑐𝑚2 𝐵 = 24 𝑐𝑚2

Total surface area:

𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 𝐿𝑆𝐴 + 2𝐵
= 288 𝑐𝑚2 + 2(24 𝑐𝑚2 )
= 288 𝑐𝑚2 + 48 𝑐𝑚2
𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 336 𝑐𝑚2

Example 2. Find the total surface area of the rectangular prism.

Solution:
Since the total surface area is given by 𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 𝐿𝑆𝐴 + 2𝐵
6 𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 𝐿𝑆𝐴 + 2𝐵
= 𝑃𝑒 + 2𝐿𝑊, since 𝑒 = ℎ and 𝑃 = 2𝐿 + 2𝑊
= (2𝐿 + 2𝑊)ℎ + 2𝐿𝑊
4 = [2(8) + 2(4)](6) + 2(8)(4)
𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 208 𝑠𝑞. 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠
8
Try this!
1. A rectangular prism has a surface area of 300 𝑚2 . It has a height of 5 𝑚 and a length of
10𝑚. What is the width of the rectangular prism?

2. A loft is 5m long, 6m wide and 3.8 metres high. What is it’s volume?

3.8m

5m
6m

3. A ramp for wheelchairs and pushchairs is made to these measurements. How many
cubic metres of concrete are needed?

2m

0.6m

20m
 3.2.2 Cylinders

A cylinder is a solid bounded by a closed cylindrical surface and two parallel planes
cutting all the elements of the surface.

 Right Circular Cylinder – is a cylinder whose line segment drawn from the center
of the bottom base to the center of the top base is perpendicular to each of the
bases.
 Circular Cylinder – is a right circular cylinder whose bases are circles.
 Oblique Circular Cylinder – is a cylinder whose line segment drawn from the
center of the bottom base to the center of the top base is not perpendicular to each
of the bases.

Images taken from https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/volume-of-a-cylinder.html

Parts of a Cylinder

1. Base – is a two parallel planes where circle in shape begins and ends.
2. Lateral faces – is a cylindrical surface.
3. Element – is a line segment formed in a cylindrical surface.
4. Radius – refers to the radius of the base.
5. Vertex – is the point where the slant height meet.
6. Axis of a Cone – is the line segment joining the vertex and the center of the base.
7. Altitude/Height – is the perpendicular distance between the bases.

LATERAL SURFACE AREA OF A CYLINDER:

𝑳𝑺𝑨 = 𝟐𝝅𝒓𝒉

where 𝑳𝑺𝑨 is the lateral surface area of the circular cylinder, 𝒓 is the radius of the base,
and 𝒉 is the height of the circular cylinder.

TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF A CYLINDER:

𝑻𝑺𝑨 = 𝑳𝑺𝑨 + 𝟐𝑩
 Where 𝑻𝑺𝑨 is the total surface area, 𝑳𝑺𝑨 is the lateral surface area, and 𝑩 is the area of
one base.
𝑻𝑺𝑨 = 𝟐𝝅𝒓𝟐 + 𝟐𝝅𝒓𝒉
= 𝟐𝝅𝒓(𝒓 + 𝒉)
= 𝑪(𝒓 + 𝒉)

where 𝑪 is the circumference of the base, 𝒓 is the radius of the base, and 𝒉 is the height of
the circular cylinder.

VOLUME OF A CYLINDER:

𝑽 = 𝑩𝒉

where 𝑽 is the volume of a circular cylinder, 𝑩 is the area of the base, and 𝒉 is the height
of the cylinder.

For oblique Cylinder:

𝑽 = 𝑩𝒉 = 𝑹𝒆

where 𝑽 is the volume of a circular cylinder, 𝑹 is the area of a right section, and 𝒆 is the
length of the element with the inclination 𝜽 measured with respect to plane 𝑩. Since 𝑩𝒉 = 𝑹𝒆 and
𝒉 = 𝒆 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽, then 𝑹 = 𝑩 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽.

Example 1. The total surface area of a cylinder is 𝟐𝟓𝟔𝝅 𝒄𝒎𝟐. If 𝑟 = ℎ, find 𝑟 and 𝐿𝐴.

Solution:

Since the total surface area is given by 𝑻𝑺𝑨 = 𝑳𝑺𝑨 + 𝟐𝑩.

𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 𝐿𝑆𝐴 + 2𝐵 𝐿𝑆𝐴 = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ

𝑇𝑆𝐴 = 2𝜋𝑟ℎ + 2(𝜋𝑟 2 ), since 𝑟 = ℎ = 2𝜋(8 𝑐𝑚)(8 𝑐𝑚)
256𝜋 = 2𝜋𝑟(𝑟) + 2𝜋𝑟 2 𝐿𝑆𝐴 = 128𝜋 𝑐𝑚2 ≈ 402.12 𝑐𝑚2
256𝜋 = 4𝜋𝑟 2
256𝜋
𝑟2 =
4𝜋
256𝜋
√𝑟 2 = √
4𝜋

𝑟 = 8 𝑐𝑚
Example 2. This cylinder is 8 cm high. The end is a circle with a radius of 3 cm. Find the
volume.

Solution: 3
cm
Since the area of the upper base 𝐵 = 𝜋𝑟 2 .
8 cm
𝐵 = 𝜋𝑟 2
= 𝜋(3 𝑐𝑚)2 3
𝐵 = 9𝜋 𝑐𝑚2 cm
Volume:
𝑉 = 𝐵ℎ
= (9𝜋 𝑐𝑚2 )(8 𝑐𝑚)
𝑉 = 72𝜋 𝑐𝑚3 ≈ 226.19𝑐𝑚2

Try this!

Find the volume of each cylinder.

6c
m

3c
m

 5c
5c m
m

30cm

r = 4cm