Surface Areas of Cones

– Find the lateral areas of cones.

– Find surface areas of cones.

A cone-shaped teepee in a
Shoshone camp, South Pass,
Wyoming 1870
LATERAL AREAS OF CONES
Cones have the following
characteristics:
• The base is a circle and the vertex
is the point V.
• The axis is the segment whose
endpoints are the vertex and the
center of the base.
• The altitude is the segment from
the vertex perpendicular to the
base of the cone.
LATERAL AREAS OF CONES

The axis is also Slant

an altitude height

Axis Altitude
l

Oblique Cone Right Cone

LATERAL AREAS OF CONES
We can use the net for the cone to derive the formula for the
lateral area.

l
l
r
LATERAL AREAS OF CONES
•The lateral region of the cone is a sector of a
circle with radius l
•The arc length of the sector is the same as
l
the circumference of the base, or 2r.
•The circumference of the circle containing r
the sector is 2l
•The area of the sector is proportional to the
area of the circle.
r

l
Key Concept Lateral Area of a Cone
If a right circular cone has a lateral of L
square units, a slant height of l units, and
the radius of the base is r units, then l

L = rl r
Example 1 Lateral Area of a Cone

LAMPS Diego has a conical lamp shade with an altitude of 6

inches and a diameter of 12 inches. Find the lateral area of
the lamp shade.
6 in.

12 in.
SURFACE AREAS OF CONES
To find the surface area of a cone, add the area of the base
to the lateral area.
Key Concept Surface Area of a Cone
If a right circular cone has a surface area of T square units,
a slant height of l units, and the radius of the base is r units,
then

T = rl + r2
l

r
Example 2 Surface Area of a Cone

13.6 cm

4.7 cm.