A rectangular pyramid has a rectangular base and four triangular faces that meet at a single point (the apex).
In terms of the faces:
- The base is one rectangular face.
- The four triangular faces are not congruent in general unless the rectangular base is a square. In most cases, two pairs of triangular faces are congruent; however, they belong to different sets based on the orientation of the base.
Thus, the breakdown of congruent face sets is as follows:
- Base Face: 1 rectangular face (the base)
- Triangular Faces: Depending on the height of the apex, there are typically two sets of congruent triangular faces (two faces on one pair of opposite edges of the base and two faces on the other pair).
In general:
- The base is a unique face.
- The four triangular faces can be divided into two pairs of congruent faces.
Therefore, there are two sets of congruent faces among the triangular faces, making the total number of congruent or equal faces in the net of a rectangular pyramid primarily encompass the relationships between the triangular faces.
To summarize, there are effectively 2 sets of congruent triangular faces in addition to the unique rectangular base.