Leonard is going to construct a pyramid with cardboard for math class. Find how many square inches (in.^2) of cardboard he will need. Use 4 1/2 bh+b^2 where b, the base of the pyramid, is 3 in. and h, the height of the pyramid, is 8 in.

1 answer

To find the total surface area of the pyramid, we will use the formula for the lateral surface area of a pyramid, which is given by 4 1/2 bh + b^2.

First, we need to find the lateral surface area of the pyramid, which is given by 4 1/2 bh. Plugging in the values of b = 3 in. and h = 8 in., we get:

4 1/2 * 3 * 8 = 12 * 8 = 96 in.^2.

Next, we need to find the area of the base of the pyramid, which is given by b^2. Plugging in the value of b = 3 in., we get:

3^2 = 9 in.^2.

To find the total surface area of the pyramid, we add the lateral surface area and the base area:

96 in.^2 + 9 in.^2 = 105 in.^2.

Therefore, Leonard will need 105 square inches of cardboard to construct the pyramid.