Table of Contents
What is a Prism in Math?
A prism is a polyhedron that has a base, a set of faces that are parallel to the base, and sides that are triangular in shape. The base is always a polygon, and the sides are always rectangles. Prisms are named for the shape of their bases. For example, a triangular prism has a triangular base, and a square prism has a square base.
Regular Prism
A regular prism is a three-dimensional geometric figure with six faces, each of which is a triangle. The base of the prism is a triangle, and the other six faces are all equilateral triangles.
Irregular Prism
An irregular prism is a polyhedron with six or more faces that are not all congruent. Each face is a different polygon, and the polygon shapes do not all have the same angles.
Right Prism and Oblique Prism
A right prism is a quadrilateral prism in which all four faces are parallelograms. A right prism is a right rectangular prism if its base is a rectangle. An oblique prism is a prism in which at least one face is not a parallelogram.
Volume of a Prism
The volume of a prism is the product of the base area and the height.
Surface Area of a Prism
The surface area of a prism is the sum of the areas of the faces of the prism.