What is the formula for finding the surface area of a regular triangular pyramid
The formula for finding the surface area of a regular triangular pyramid is:
Surface Area = base area + lateral area
The base area can be calculated using the formula for the area of an equilateral triangle:
Base Area = (sqrt(3) / 4) * s^2
Where s represents the length of one side of the base.
The lateral area can be calculated by finding the area of each triangular face and summing them up. Since the pyramid is regular, each triangular face will be congruent.
Lateral Area = (1/2) * s * h
Where s represents the length of one side of the base and h represents the height of the pyramid. Note that the height is the perpendicular distance from the vertex to the base and should be calculated separately if not provided.
Finally, the overall surface area is obtained by adding the base area and the lateral area.