Grade 9 Math (MTH1W) · Geometry and Measurement

Surface area of prisms and cylinders

Find the surface area of a rectangular prism, a cylinder, or an open-top prism. Unlimited questions, five difficulty levels, and a full worked solution every time — free.

Practice this skill Curriculum: MTH1W-E1.4

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A cereal box measures 3 cm by 4 cm by 2 cm. What is its total surface area, in cm^2?

Answer: 52

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A cereal box measures 5 cm by 4 cm by 4 cm. What is its total surface area, in cm^2?

📘 Worked solution
1Face pairs: 5·4=20, 5·4=20, 4·4=16A rectangular prism has 3 different face shapes, each appearing twice.
2Surface area = 2 · (20 + 20 + 16) = 112 cm2Add the three face areas and double the total, since each face is repeated.

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