Question

1. in your own words how can you find the surface area of a prism?

Explanation:

First, identify the two congruent polygonal bases of the prism and calculate the area of one base, then multiply by 2 to get the total area of both bases. Next, find the perimeter of one of the bases, multiply it by the height (the perpendicular distance between the two bases) to get the lateral (side) surface area. Finally, add the total base area and the lateral surface area together to get the total surface area of the prism.

Answer:

To find a prism's surface area:

1. Calculate the area of one of its two identical polygonal bases, then double this value to get the total area of both bases.
2. Find the perimeter of one base, multiply it by the prism's height (the perpendicular distance between the two bases) to get the lateral surface area (area of all the side faces).
3. Add the total base area and the lateral surface area together; the sum is the total surface area of the prism.