Prisms
Click to explore updated revision resources for GCSE Maths: Volume of prisms, with step-by-step slideshows, quizzes, practice exam questions, and more!
If a rectangular loaf of bread was cut into slices, the shape and size of each slice would be the same. The loaf is a prism.
A prism has a A shape or surface that is shown as the result of cutting through it in half, so that the inside can be seen, eg a cross-section of a river or of a mathematical shape. which is the same throughout the shape.
A triangular prism has a triangular cross-section.
To calculate the volume of a prism, first calculate the area of the cross-section.
\(\frac{1}{2} \times 2 \times 5 = 5~\text{cm}^2\)
Multiply the area of the cross-section by the length.
\(5 \times 4 = 20~\text{cm}^3\)
\(\text{Volume of a prism} = \text{area of the cross-section} \times \text{length}\)
More guides on this topic
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- Angles, lines and polygons - AQA
- Loci and constructions - AQA
- 2-dimensional shapes - AQA
- Circles, sectors and arcs - AQA
- Circle theorems - Higher - AQA
- Transformations - AQA
- Pythagoras' theorem - AQA
- Units of measure - AQA
- Trigonometry - AQA
- Vectors - AQA
