How is the surface area of a prism or pyramid found using a net?

How is the surface area of a prism or pyramid found using a net?

• A. By calculating the sum of the areas of all the individual faces in the net.
• B. By measuring the volume of the solid.
• C. By multiplying length by width.
• D. By counting the number of vertices.

Answer: (A)

Using a net to find surface area means you lay out every face of the solid flat and add up how much area those faces cover. The net shows exactly all the surfaces, so the total surface area is the sum of the areas of those faces. For a prism, the net includes the two bases and the rectangular side faces; you calculate the area of each rectangle or base and add them all. For a pyramid, the net includes the base and all the triangular faces, and you add the area of the base and each triangle. This method works because you’re accounting for every face once. The other ideas don’t fit: volume uses space inside the solid, a single length times width gives just one flat face, and counting vertices relates to corners, not area.

Using a net to find surface area means you lay out every face of the solid flat and add up how much area those faces cover. The net shows exactly all the surfaces, so the total surface area is the sum of the areas of those faces. For a prism, the net includes the two bases and the rectangular side faces; you calculate the area of each rectangle or base and add them all. For a pyramid, the net includes the base and all the triangular faces, and you add the area of the base and each triangle. This method works because you’re accounting for every face once. The other ideas don’t fit: volume uses space inside the solid, a single length times width gives just one flat face, and counting vertices relates to corners, not area.