A garden sculpture is in the shape of a square pyramid. Its dimensions are shown in the net.



What is the surface area of the garden sculpture, including the base?



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ft²

Shape made up of a square and four triangles the base of each triangle shared with each side of the square. The height of each triangle is 12 feet. The side of the square is 10 feet.

1 answer

To find the surface area of a square pyramid that includes the base, we'll calculate the area of the base and the area of the four triangular faces.

  1. Calculate the area of the base: The base is a square with a side length of \(10\) feet. The area \((A_{base})\) of the base can be calculated using the formula for the area of a square:

    \[ A_{base} = \text{side}^2 = 10 \times 10 = 100 \text{ ft}^2 \]

  2. Calculate the area of one triangular face: Each triangular face has a base equal to the side of the square, which is \(10\) feet, and a height equal to \(12\) feet. The area \((A_{triangle})\) of one triangle can be calculated using the formula for the area of a triangle:

    \[ A_{triangle} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} = \frac{1}{2} \times 10 \times 12 = 60 \text{ ft}^2 \]

  3. Calculate the total area of the four triangular faces: Since there are four triangular faces, we multiply the area of one triangle by \(4\):

    \[ A_{triangles\ total} = 4 \times A_{triangle} = 4 \times 60 = 240 \text{ ft}^2 \]

  4. Calculate the total surface area of the pyramid: The total surface area is the sum of the area of the base and the total area of the triangular faces:

    \[ A_{total} = A_{base} + A_{triangles\ total} = 100 + 240 = 340 \text{ ft}^2 \]

Thus, the surface area of the garden sculpture, including the base, is

\[ \boxed{340} \text{ ft}^2. \]