203k views
24 votes
A pyramid has a square base that has an area of 144 square feet. If the slant height of each triangular face is 10 in, what is the total surface area of the pyramid?

1 Answer

2 votes

Answer:

Total Surface Area

= 384 sq ft

Explanation:

To find Total Surface Area, add up the areas of all the sides of the shape. A square based pyramid has five sides, a square bottom and four triangular sides. Luckily all four sides are the same, so just one calculation for these.

Area of square base is given.

A = 144 sq ft

Since the base is a square the length of the side of the square is 12, because 12×12 is 144.

The side of the square base is the base of the triangular side.

Area of a triangle:

A = 1/2•b•h

A = 1/2(12)(10)

A = 60

The area of one triangular face is 60. There are four of these.

A = 4(60)

A = 240

This is the area of all the triangular faces.

Add them all up.

A (TOTAL)

= 144+240

= 384 sq ft

User Jacouille
by
4.4k points