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Here you will learn about square pyramids, including what a square pyramid is and how to find the volume and surface area of square pyramids.
Students will first learn about square pyramids as part of geometry in st grade. In middle school and high school, students will expand their knowledge of square pyramids when they learn to find the volume and the surface area of a square pyramid.
A square pyramid is a three-dimensional shape with flat triangular faces and square face, edges and vertices. Rectangular based pyramids and triangular prisms are sometimes called pentahedrons because they have faces.
faces | edges | vertices |
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A pyramid is a polyhedra with a flat base and triangular sides which meet at the apex. The flat base can be any polygon. There are different types of pyramids such as a triangular pyramid (known as a tetrahedron), a rectangular pyramid or even a hexagonal pyramid or a pentagonal pyramid.
The net of a square pyramid is made of triangles and a square.
The volume of a square pyramid can be found by using the formula:
The pyramid height should be perpendicular to its base.
This can be written as,
Where,
The surface area of a square pyramid is calculated by finding the area of each of the faces and adding them together.
For example, find the surface area of the square pyramid.
There are triangular faces, so multiply by to give
There are two main types of square pyramids you will encounter, right square pyramids and oblique square pyramids.
A right square pyramid is a square pyramid where the apex is directly above the center of the square base, forming a right-angled triangle. The other faces are congruent isosceles triangles.
An oblique square pyramid is a square pyramid where the apex is NOT directly above the center of the square base. The other faces are triangles, but they are not all congruent.
How does this relate to st grade and th grade math?
In order to identify a square pyramid, you will:
Use this quiz to check your grade 1, 5 and 6 students’ understanding of 3D shape. 10+ questions with answers covering a range of 1st, 5th and 6th grade 3D shape topics to identify areas of strength and support!
DOWNLOAD FREEUse this quiz to check your grade 1, 5 and 6 students’ understanding of 3D shape. 10+ questions with answers covering a range of 1st, 5th and 6th grade 3D shape topics to identify areas of strength and support!
DOWNLOAD FREELook at the image below and determine if it’s a square pyramid or not.
A square pyramid is a 3D shape with triangular faces and square face, edges and vertices.
This shape has triangular faces and pentagonal face, edges and vertices.
2State whether or not the shape is a square pyramid.
This shape is not a square pyramid, it is a pentagonal pyramid.
3If the shape is not a square pyramid, explain what characteristics are different.
The pentagonal pyramid has a different number of faces ( triangular faces and pentagonal face), edges ( edges) and vertices ( vertices).
Look at the image below and determine if it’s a square pyramid or not.
Look for the characteristics of a square pyramid.
A square pyramid is a 3D shape with triangular faces and square face, edges and vertices.
This shape has triangular faces and square face, edges and vertices.
State whether or not the shape is a square pyramid.
This shape is an oblique square pyramid.
In order to calculate the volume of a square pyramid:
Find the volume of the square pyramid. Round the answer to the nearest tenth place.
Calculate the area of the base.
The area of the base can be found by squaring the base side.
Substitute values into the formula and solve.
The volume of a square pyramid can be found by using the formula,
Write the answer, including the units.
The volume is rounded to the tenth place.
The volume of the square pyramid is Find the perpendicular height, Round the answer to two decimal places.
Calculate the area of the base.
The area of the base can be found by multiplying the base edge by itself.
Substitute values into the formula and solve.
The formula for the volume of the square pyramid can be used to find the perpendicular height
Write the answer, including the units.
The perpendicular height is rounded to two decimal places.
In order to find the surface area of a square pyramid:
Find the total surface area of this square pyramid, where the apex is perpendicular to the center of the base.
Calculate the area of each face.
The area of the base can be found by multiplying the base edge by itself.
The area of the triangular faces needs to be found. This is the lateral surface area.
You can find the area of one triangular face and then multiply it by four. You have the slant height which can be used to find the area of one triangular face. The triangular faces are all congruent isosceles triangles.
Add the area of each face together.
We can then multiply the area of one triangular face by and add the area of the square base to find the total surface area.
Include the units.
The total surface area is
Find the total surface area of this right square pyramid.
Calculate the area of each face.
The area of the base can be found by multiplying the base edge by itself.
The area of the triangular faces needs to be found. This is the lateral surface area.
You can find the area of one triangular face and then multiply it by four. You have the slant height which can be used to find the area of one triangular face. The triangular faces are all congruent isosceles triangles.
Add the area of each face together.
We can then multiply the area of one triangular face by and add the area of the square base to find the total surface area.
Include the units.
The total surface area of the pyramid is
1) How many faces does a square pyramid have?
A square pyramid has faces. One is the square base and the other are triangles which are the lateral faces.
2) Which of these nets is for a square pyramid?
A square pyramid has faces. One is a square, the base. In a right pyramid, the other faces are triangles which need to have the same slant height so that they meet together at the apex.
3) Find the volume of this square pyramid.
Work out the volume of a pyramid by using the formula,
The base area can be found by multiplying the side length of the base square by itself.
Substitute the values that have been given into the formula and work out the volume where,
and
So the volume of the square pyramid is
4) Find the volume of this square pyramid to the nearest whole centimeter.
Work out the volume of a pyramid by using the formula,
The base area can be found by multiplying the side length of the base square by itself.
Substitute the values that have been given into the formula and work out the volume using the perpendicular height.
and
The volume of the square pyramid is to the nearest centimeter.
5) The volume of a square pyramid is The side length of the square is Find the perpendicular height of the square pyramid. Round your answer to two decimal places.
Use the formula for volume of a pyramid,
The base area can be found by squaring the side length of the base square.
Substitute the values that have been given into the formula.
You can reverse this to find the base area.
The perpendicular height is when rounded to decimal places.
6) Find the total surface area of the square pyramid. The apex is directly above the center of the square base. Give your answer correct to the nearest whole number.
A triangular based pyramid has faces. The square base and triangular faces.
Since the apex is directly above the center of the square base, all triangles are congruent.
Find the area of the square base,
Find the area of the triangular face,
Finally, solve for the total surface area of the square pyramid,
The total surface area of the square pyramid is rounded to the nearest whole number.
A square pyramid is a three-dimensional geometric shape with a square base and four triangular faces that meet at a single point called the apex or vertex. It is one type of pyramid.
Yes, the Egyptian pyramids are examples of real-life pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Giza and The Pyramid of Djoser are examples of a square pyramids.
The Pythagorean theorem is used in square pyramids to calculate various measurements. It relates the lengths of the sides in a right triangle. In a square pyramid, the slant height, base length, and height form a right triangle.
The Pythagorean theorem can be applied to find the slant height, base side length, or height if the other two measurements are known.
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Prepare for math tests in your state with these Grade 3 to Grade 6 practice assessments for Common Core and state equivalents.
40 multiple choice questions and detailed answers to support test prep, created by US math experts covering a range of topics!