Year 8 - Maths
Properties of prisms
Perimeter, area and volume
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils extend their knowledge of shapes by exploring the properties of circles and composite shapes before developing understanding of 3-D shapes including surface area and volume.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to appreciate that all prisms have two congruent polygonal parallel faces (bases) with parallelogram faces joining the corresponding vertices of the bases.
Key Notes
- Prisms are 3D shapes with a cross-section that is a uniform polygon.
- All prisms will have a pair of parallel faces that are congruent.
- This polygon cross section is often used to name the prism.
- The sides connecting the bases are parallelograms.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Prism: A prism is a polyhedron with a base that is a polygon and a parallel opposite face that is identical.
- Cross-section: A cross section is a 2D face made from cutting straight through any plane of a 3D object.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- I can tell a 3D shape is a prism because the 2D faces on both ends are congruent.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Solve this in steps: explain the method from this lesson and why each step matters.
Prisms are 3D shapes with a cross-section that is a uniform polygon. All prisms will have a pair of parallel faces that are congruent.
2. Use this key word in a maths sentence and explain it clearly. 'Prism'
A prism is a polyhedron with a base that is a polygon and a parallel opposite face that is identical. Use this word when showing your method, then check your final answer is reasonable.
3. Spot and fix this common maths mistake.
Mistake: I can tell a 3D shape is a prism because the 2D faces on both ends are congruent. Correction: The cross-sectional face must be the same throughout, not just at the two ends of the shape. Also, the two end faces must be parallel.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Area of a circle Study Guide
- Area of composite shapes Study Guide
- Checking understanding of area Study Guide
- Checking understanding of perimeter Study Guide
- Circumference of a circle Study Guide
- Finding a length in composite shapes Study Guide
- Multiplicative relationships in circles Study Guide
- Perimeter of composite shapes Study Guide
- Problem solving with perimeter, area and volume Study Guide
- Surface area of cuboids Study Guide
- Surface area of cylinders Study Guide
- Surface area of prisms Study Guide
- Using the formula for the area of a circle Study Guide
- Volume of cylinders Study Guide
- Volume of prisms Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Maths guide library.