Prisms

Find the 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 very close to being a prism.

A prism has a which is exactly the same shape and size throughout its length.

A triangular prism has a triangular cross-section.

To calculate the of a prism, first calculate the area of the cross-section.

\(\frac{1}{2} \times 5 \times 2 = 5~\text{cm}^2\)

Multiply the area of the cross-section by the length.

\(5 \times 4 = 20~\text{cm}^3\)

\(\text{Volume of a prism} = \text{area of the cross-section} \times \text{length}\)

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