What is surface area and how do you work it out?

Surface area is the area on an object. How one works it is dependent on the object.

SURFACE IS THE AREA OF ANY OBJECT. AND HOW IT WORKS IS IF YOU HAVE A SQUARE AND YOU WANT TO FIND THE PERIMITIER THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE ALL SIDES THE SAME. SO IF YOU HAVE A SQUARE AND THE BASE IS 10FT AND THE HEIGHT IS 9 FT THEN THE OTHER BASE IS 10FT AND THE OTHER HEIGHT WOULD BE 9FT AND THEN YOU ADD BASE+HEIGHT+BASE+HEIGHT

Actually, what you just described is the formula for finding the perimeter of a square, not the surface area.

Surface area, on the other hand, is the measure of the total area that the surfaces of an object cover. It's typically expressed in square units, such as square meters (m²) or square feet (ft²).

The way you calculate surface area depends on the shape of the object. Here are a few common shapes and their corresponding formulas:

1. Cube: A cube is a three-dimensional shape with six equal square faces. To find the surface area of a cube, you can use the formula: 6s², where s represents the length of one side.

2. Cylinder: A cylinder has two circular bases and a curved surface. The formula for the surface area of a cylinder is: 2πr² + 2πrh, where r represents the radius of the base and h represents the height of the cylinder.

3. Sphere: A sphere is a perfectly round three-dimensional object. The formula for the surface area of a sphere is: 4πr², where r represents the radius of the sphere.

4. Rectangular Prism: A rectangular prism has six rectangular faces. To find the surface area, you can use the formula: 2lw + 2lh + 2wh, where l represents the length, h represents the height, and w represents the width of the prism.

These are just a few examples, and the method for finding the surface area will vary depending on the shape of the object.

To calculate the surface area of an object, identify its shape, understand the corresponding formula, and gather the necessary measurements such as side lengths or radii. Then simply substitute the values into the formula and perform the calculations to find the surface area.