How to solve for the volume of a triangular prism

1 answer

To find the volume of a triangular prism, you can use the following formula:

\[ \text{Volume} = \text{Base Area} \times \text{Height} \]

Here's how you can solve for the volume step by step:

  1. Find the Area of the Triangular Base: The area of the triangular base can be calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height of the triangle} \]

  • Where "base" is the length of the base of the triangle, and "height of the triangle" is the perpendicular height from the base to the opposite vertex.
  1. Measure the Height of the Prism: The height of the prism is the distance between the two triangular bases. This is the length of the prism.

  2. Calculate the Volume: Once you have the area of the triangular base and the height of the prism, you can calculate the volume using the first formula mentioned.

Example

  1. Suppose the triangular base has a base length of 4 cm and a height of 3 cm.

    • Area of the triangular base = \( \frac{1}{2} \times 4 , \text{cm} \times 3 , \text{cm} = 6 , \text{cm}^2 \).
  2. If the height of the prism (the distance between the two triangular bases) is 10 cm,

    • Volume = \( 6 , \text{cm}^2 \times 10 , \text{cm} = 60 , \text{cm}^3 \).

So, the volume of the prism is \( 60 , \text{cm}^3 \).