Question

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An illustration shows a triangular prism. The front triangular face is visible. The right rectangular face is visible. The sides and edges that are not visible are indicated by dashed lines. Parts are labeled with measurements. The left side of the triangle measures 10 centimeters. The right side of the triangle also measures 10 centimeters. The perpendicular height from the top vertex of the triangle to the base measures 6 centimeters. The base of the triangle measures 8 centimeters.

What is the missing length l
of the triangular prism if the surface area is 524 square centimeters?

(1 point)
Responses

10 cm
10 cm

17 cm
17 cm

16 cm
16 cm

8 cm
8 cm
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1 answer

To find the missing length \( l \) of the triangular prism when the surface area is given, we can follow these steps:

  1. Calculate the area of the triangular base: The area \( A \) of a triangle can be calculated using the formula: \[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} \] In this case, the base of the triangle is 8 cm and the height is 6 cm: \[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times 8 \times 6 = 24 \text{ square centimeters} \]

  2. Calculate the lateral surface area of the prism: The lateral surface area of a triangular prism consists of three rectangular faces. The area of each rectangular face is calculated as follows:

    • The area of the rectangle corresponding to the base (which is 8 cm) is: \[ A_{base} = \text{base} \times l = 8 \times l \]

    • The area of the rectangle corresponding to the left side of the triangle (which is 10 cm) is: \[ A_{side1} = \text{side1} \times l = 10 \times l \]

    • The area of the rectangle corresponding to the right side of the triangle (which is also 10 cm) is: \[ A_{side2} = \text{side2} \times l = 10 \times l \]

    Adding these areas together, we get: \[ A_{\text{lateral}} = A_{base} + A_{side1} + A_{side2} = (8 \times l) + (10 \times l) + (10 \times l) = (8 + 10 + 10)l = 28l \]

  3. Calculate the total surface area: The total surface area \( S \) of the prism is the sum of the area of the two triangular bases and the lateral surface area: \[ S = 2 \times A + A_{\text{lateral}} = 2 \times 24 + 28l = 48 + 28l \]

  4. Set up the equation with the given surface area: Set the total surface area equal to 524: \[ 48 + 28l = 524 \]

  5. Solve for \( l \): Subtract 48 from both sides: \[ 28l = 524 - 48 \] \[ 28l = 476 \] Divide both sides by 28: \[ l = \frac{476}{28} = 17 \]

Thus, the missing length \( l \) of the triangular prism is 17 cm.