Lateral Surface Area of Prisms
Lateral Surface Area of Prisms is a Grade 7 math skill in Big Ideas Math Advanced 2, Chapter 14: Surface Area and Volume, where students calculate the lateral surface area (the area of all the rectangular faces, excluding the two bases) of a prism by summing the areas of each lateral face or by multiplying the perimeter of the base by the height. This skill is essential for packaging, construction, and wrapping problems.
Key Concepts
Lateral surface area is the sum of the areas of only the side faces of a prism, excluding the top and bottom bases.
For rectangular prisms: $L = 2\ell h + 2wh$ where $\ell$ is length, $w$ is width, and $h$ is height.
Common Questions
What is lateral surface area?
Lateral surface area is the area of all the side faces of a prism, not including the two bases. For a rectangular prism, it equals the sum of the four rectangular side faces.
What is the formula for lateral surface area of a prism?
Lateral surface area = perimeter of the base x height of the prism. For a rectangular prism with dimensions l, w, h: lateral area = 2(l + w) x h.
How is lateral surface area different from total surface area?
Total surface area includes the areas of both bases plus all lateral faces. Lateral surface area includes only the lateral (side) faces, not the top and bottom bases.
What is Big Ideas Math Advanced 2 Chapter 14 about?
Chapter 14 covers Surface Area and Volume, including lateral and total surface areas of prisms, pyramids, and cylinders, and volume formulas for various 3D shapes.