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

8 cm
8 cm

10 cm
10 cm

17 cm
17 cm

16 cm

1 answer

To find the missing length \( l \) of the triangular prism, we first need to calculate the area of the triangular base and then use this to determine the surface area of the prism.

Step 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. Plugging in these values gives: \[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times 8 \times 6 = \frac{1}{2} \times 48 = 24 \text{ cm}^2 \]

Step 2: Calculate the surface area of the prism.

The surface area \( S \) of a triangular prism is given by the formula: \[ S = 2A + \text{perimeter} \times l \] where \( l \) is the length of the prism and \( A \) is the area of the triangular base.

Step 3: Calculate the perimeter of the triangular base.

The sides of the triangle are \( 10 \) cm, \( 10 \) cm, and \( 8 \) cm. So the perimeter \( P \) is: \[ P = 10 + 10 + 8 = 28 \text{ cm} \]

Step 4: Substitute values into the surface area formula.

We know that the surface area \( S \) is \( 524 \) cm² and the area \( A \) is \( 24 \) cm²: \[ 524 = 2 \times 24 + 28 \times l \] This simplifies to: \[ 524 = 48 + 28l \] Subtracting \( 48 \) from both sides: \[ 476 = 28l \]

Step 5: Solve for \( l \).

Now, divide both sides by \( 28 \): \[ l = \frac{476}{28} = 17 \text{ cm} \]

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

The correct answer is: 17 cm.