Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

Remember:
A prism is a 3D shape which has a constant cross-section.
The formula for the volume of a prism is:
volume = area of cross-section × length
The surface area of a prism is the combined area of all of its faces.

Bronze
1. The diagrams show some prisms with a given cross-sectional area.
Calculate the volume of each prism.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a. d.
2
area = 19m

area = 28m
2
9cm

13cm

Volume = Volume =

b. e.

area =
2
17mm

2
area = 17mm
20mm 3cm

Volume =

c.

2 Volume =
area = 40cm
4.5cm

Volume =

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

2. The diagrams show some cuboids.

Calculate the volume and surface area of each cuboid.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a. d.

5mm
6cm
8mm
6cm 12mm

6cm
Volume = Volume =

Surface area = Surface area =

b. e.

4m 30cm

4m 80cm
8m 5m

Volume =
Volume =

Surface area =

c.

Surface area =
9cm

3cm
10cm

Volume =

Surface area =

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism
Silver
3. The diagrams show some prisms.
Calculate the volume of each prism.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a. d.
8cm

3cm
2cm

10cm
6cm
5cm 10cm

Volume = Volume =

e.
b.
7mm

6m 5mm

5m 4cm
9mm
8m

Volume =
Volume =

c.

3cm

8m
9cm

Volume =

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

4. The diagrams show some right triangular prisms.

Use Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate the length of the hypotenuse, then calculate the
surface area of each prism.
2
Give your answers in cm to 2 decimal places where necessary.

a.

Hypotenuse =


3cm
Surface area =

10cm
4cm

b.

Hypotenuse =

5cm

Surface area =
4cm

12cm

c.

Hypotenuse =


3cm
Surface area =
18mm

9cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

5. The diagrams show some prisms of which the cross-section is a composite shape.
Calculate the area of the cross-section, then calculate the volume of each prism.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a.
2cm

Cross-sectional area =


Volume =
10cm 3cm

6cm
8cm

b.
10mm

Cross-sectional area =
2mm


7mm
Volume =

15mm
6mm

c.

Cross-sectional area =

3cm
Volume =
6cm 2cm
5cm

9cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

Gold
6. The diagrams show some solid cylinders and some partial solid cylinders.
Calculate the volume and surface area of each shape.
Give your answers in terms of π. Give the correct units in your answers.

a.
Volume =

4cm
Surface area =

10cm

b.

Volume =

6cm
Surface area =

8cm

c.

5cm
Volume =

3cm
Surface area =

d.

Volume =

Surface area =
15cm

10cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

7. Mixed problems:

2
a. A cube has a surface area of 486cm . Work out the side length of the cube.

3
b. A cube has a volume of 343cm . Work out the surface area of the cube.

3
c. A cylinder has a volume of 452.4cm . The height of the cylinder is 9cm. Calculate the
diameter of the cross-section.

d. A carton is stood on the face with the smallest area as shown. The liquid in the carton
reaches a height of 6cm. The cuboid is flipped onto the face with the largest area. Work
out the height the liquid now reaches.




10cm

6cm
3cm
8cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism

e. The diagram shows a cylindrical vessel which is filled with water. The water is poured
into a vase in the shape of a cube with a side length of 8cm. Work out the depth of
the water in the vase. Give your answer to a suitable degree of accuracy.


6cm

5cm

f. A cube has a side length of 3.5cm and a mass of 0.8kg.

Calculate the density of the cube.
3
Give your answer in g/cm to 2 decimal places.

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Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers
Remember:
A prism is a 3D shape which has a constant cross-section.
The formula for the volume of a prism is:
volume = area of cross-section × length
The surface area of a prism is the combined area of all of its faces.

Bronze
1. The diagrams show some prisms with a given cross-sectional area.
Calculate the volume of each prism.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a. d. 2
area = 19m

28m
area =
2
9cm

13cm

3
3
Volume = 19 × 28 = 532m
Volume = 9 × 13 = 117cm

b. e.

area =
2
17mm

2
area = 17mm
20mm 3cm
3
Volume = 17 × 20 = 340mm

c.

3
2 Volume = 17 × 30 = 510mm
area = 40cm

4.5cm

3
Volume = 40 × 4.5 = 180cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers

2. The diagrams show some cuboids.

Calculate the volume and surface area of each cuboid.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a. d.

5mm
6cm
8mm
6cm 12mm

6cm 3
Volume = 8 × 5 × 12 = 480mm
3 3
Volume = 6 = 216cm Surface area =
2
2
Surface area = 6 × 6 = 216cm
2 (2 × 8 × 5) + (2 × 8 × 12) + (2 × 5 × 12) = 392mm

b. e.

4m 30cm

4m 80cm
8m 5m
Volume =
3
4 × 4 × 8 = 128m
Surface area = Volume =
3
(2 × 4 × 4) + (4 × 4 × 8) = 160m
2 500 × 30 × 80 = 1 200 000cm

or
3
5 × 0.3 × 0.8 = 1.2m
c.

Surface area =
(2 × 500 × 30) + (2 × 500 × 80) + (2 × 30 × 80)
9cm = 114 800cm
2

or
3cm
10cm (2 × 5 × 0.3) + (2 × 5 × 0.8) + (2 × 0.3 × 0.8)
2
= 11.48m
Volume =
3
3 × 9 × 10 = 270cm
Surface area =
2
(2 × 3 × 9) + (2 × 3 × 10) + (2 × 9 × 10) = 294cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers
Silver
3. The diagrams show some prisms.
Calculate the volume of each prism.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a. d.
8cm

3cm
2cm

10cm
6cm
5cm 10cm

1 3 1
Volume = ( 2 × 3 × 5) × 10 = 75cm Volume = ( 2 × (8 + 10) × 2) × 6 = 108cm
3

e.
b.
7mm

6m 5mm

5m 4cm
9mm
8m

1 3
Volume = ( 2 × 8 × 6) × 5 = 120m
1 3
Volume = ( 2 × (7 + 9) × 5) × 40 = 1600mm
or
1 3
( 2 × (0.7 + 0.9) × 0.5) × 4 = 1.6cm
c.

3cm

8m
9cm

1 3
Volume = ( 2 × 9 × 3) × 8 = 108cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers

4. The diagrams show some right triangular prisms.

Use Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate the length of the hypotenuse, then calculate the
surface area of each prism.
2
Give your answers in cm to 2 decimal places where necessary.

a.

Hypotenuse =
32 + 42 = 5cm

3cm
Surface area =
1
((
10cm
2
× 4 × 3) × 2) + (4 × 10) + (3 × 10) + (5 × 10)
4cm 2
= 132cm

b.

2 2
Hypotenuse = 5 + 12 = 13cm

5cm
Surface area =
1
(( 2 × 12 × 5) × 2) + (12 × 4) + (5 × 4) + (13 × 4)
4cm 2

12cm = 180cm

c.

Hypotenuse =
2 2
9 + 3 = 3 10cm = 9.49cm (2d.p)

3cm
Surface area =
18mm 1
(( 2
× 9 × 3) × 2) + (9 × 1.8) + (3 × 1.8) +
9cm 2
(9.49 × 1.8) = 65.68cm (2d.p.)

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers

5. The diagrams show some prisms of which the cross-section is a composite shape.
Calculate the area of the cross-section, then calculate the volume of each prism.
Give the correct units in your answers.

a.
2cm

Cross-sectional area =
2
(10 × 8) – (6 × 7) = 38cm

3
Volume = 38 × 6 = 228cm
10cm 3cm

6cm
8cm

b.
10mm

Cross-sectional area =
2mm 2
(10 × 7) – (4 × 5) = 50mm

3
Volume
7mm = 50 × 15 = 750mm

15mm
6mm

c.

Cross-sectional area =
2
(9 × 6) – (3 × 2) = 48cm

3
Volume = 48 × 5 = 240cm
3cm

6cm 2cm

5cm

9cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers

Gold
6. The diagrams show some solid cylinders and some partial solid cylinders.
Calculate the volume and surface area of each shape.
Give your answers in terms of π. Give the correct units in your answers.

a.
2 3
Volume = π × 4 × 10 = 160πcm
Surface area =
4cm
(2 × π × 4 × 10) + (2 × π × 4 )
2

2
= 112πcm
10cm

b.

2 3
Volume = π × 3 × 8 = 72πcm
Surface area =
6cm
2
(π × 6 × 8) + (2 × π × 3 )
2

8cm = 66πcm

c.

5cm
2 3
Volume = π × 5 × 3 = 75πcm
Surface area =
3cm 2
(2 × π × 5 × 3) + (2 × π × 5 )
2
= 80πcm

d.

Volume =
1 2 3
2 × π × 5 × 15 = 187.5πcm
Surface area =
1 2
(
15cm 2
× π × 10 × 15) + (π × 5 ) + (10 × 15)
2
= 100π + 150cm
10cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers

7. Mixed problems:

2
a. A cube has a surface area of 486cm . Work out the side length of the cube.

486 ÷ 6 = 81

81 = 9cm

3
b. A cube has a volume of 343cm . Work out the surface area of the cube.

3
343 = 7
2 2
7 × 6 = 294cm

3
c. A cylinder has a volume of 452.4cm . The height of the cylinder is 9cm. Calculate the
diameter of the cross-section.

452.4 ÷ 9 = 50.26…
50.26… ÷ π = 16.00…

16.00... = 4.00…
Diameter = 4 × 2 = 8cm

d. A carton is stood on the face with the smallest area as shown. The liquid in the carton
reaches a height of 6cm. The cuboid is flipped onto the face with the largest area. Work
out the height the liquid now reaches.



3
Volume of liquid = 8 × 3 × 6 = 144cm
10cm
2
Area of largest face = 10 × 8 = 80cm
144 ÷ 80 = 1.8cm

6cm
3cm
8cm

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 Volume and Surface Area of a Prism Answers

e. The diagram shows a cylindrical vessel which is filled with water. The water is poured
into a vase in the shape of a cube with a side length of 8cm. Work out the depth of
the water in the vase. Give your answer to a suitable degree of accuracy.


6cm 2 3
Volume of cylinder = π × 3 × 5 = 45πcm
2
Cross-sectional area of cube = 8 × 8 = 64cm
5cm
45π ÷ 64 = 2.21cm (2d.p.)

f. A cube has a side length of 3.5cm and a mass of 0.8kg.

Calculate the density of the cube.
3
Give your answer in g/cm to 2 decimal places.

3 3
Volume = 3.5 = 42.875cm
3
Density = 800 ÷ 42.875 = 18.66g/cm (2d.p.)

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