to calculate volume you use the formula
V= area of b.s.(base area) x h(height)
- How can I tell what face is the "base shape", especially with a triangular prism?
In a triangular prism V=(1/3)x(Base Area)x(Height)
To find Base Area in the case of triangular prism we use the formula for area of a triangle that is A=(1/2)x(L+W)
Joe, what you stated is the volume of a pyramid.
The volume of a triangular prism = base area x height
http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Triangular_prism.png&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Triangular_prism.png&h=1000&w=1000&sz=147&tbnid=3nAf5nE8vVoM8M:&tbnh=149&tbnw=149&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtriangular%2Bprism&hl=en&usg=__i8aqcfEydQvVJHrJFpcgp_Du9bQ=&ei=de7uS5H-GsT48Abat9T9Cg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&ved=0CBgQ9QEwAA
To determine the base shape of a triangular prism or any other solid object, you can follow these steps:
1. Visualize the solid object: Take a look at the shape you have, in this case, a triangular prism. Imagine how it would look if you held it in your hand or if it were transparent.
2. Identify the faces: Look at all the faces of the solid object and try to identify their shapes.
3. Analyze the shapes: For a triangular prism, you will have two triangular faces and three rectangular faces.
4. Determine the base shape: The base shape of a solid object is the face on which it rests or stands. In the case of a triangular prism, one of the two triangular faces will be the base shape.
You can easily identify the base shape by visualizing the triangular prism and imagining which face would touch the ground if it were placed on a flat surface.
Once you have determined the base shape, you can use the formula you mentioned:
V = (base area) x (height)
By substituting the appropriate values into the formula, you can calculate the volume of the triangular prism.