A prism and pyramid have congruent triangular bases. If their heights are both 15 m, what is the volume of each shape?

(1 point)
The volume of the prism is _______ m3. 
The volume of the pyramid is __________ m3.

It’s not 15 and 5

1 answer

To find the volumes of the prism and the pyramid, we can use the following formulas:

  1. Volume of a Prism:
    \[ V = B \cdot h \]
    where \( V \) is the volume, \( B \) is the area of the base, and \( h \) is the height.

  2. Volume of a Pyramid:
    \[ V = \frac{1}{3} B \cdot h \]
    where \( V \) is the volume, \( B \) is the area of the base, and \( h \) is the height.

Let’s denote the area of the triangular base as \( B \). Since both the prism and the pyramid share the same base and height:

  • The height \( h \) is given as 15 m.

Now we can express their volumes:

  1. Volume of the Prism:
    \[ V_{\text{prism}} = B \cdot 15 \]

  2. Volume of the Pyramid:
    \[ V_{\text{pyramid}} = \frac{1}{3} B \cdot 15 \]
    \[ V_{\text{pyramid}} = 5B \]

So, we need the area \( B \) to calculate specific volumes. Without a specific numerical value for the area \( B \), we can express the volumes in terms of \( B \).

Therefore:

  • Volume of the prism: \( 15B \) m³
  • Volume of the pyramid: \( 5B \) m³

If you know the area of the triangular base \( B \), you can substitute that value to find the concrete volume measurements.