📐

Cuboid Surface Area Calculation

Aug 18, 2025,

Overview

This lecture explains how to calculate the surface area of a cuboid by finding and adding the areas of all its rectangular faces.

Surface Area of a Cuboid

  • A cuboid has six rectangular faces: front, back, left, right, top, and bottom.
  • To find the surface area, calculate the area of each face and add them together.
  • Opposite faces are equal in area (e.g., front = back, top = bottom).

Example 1: Surface Area Calculation

  • Dimensions: Height = 3 cm, Width = 12 cm, Depth = 10 cm.
  • Front and back: 3 × 12 = 36 cm² each.
  • Left and right: 3 × 10 = 30 cm² each.
  • Top and bottom: 12 × 10 = 120 cm² each.
  • Add all face areas: 36 + 36 + 30 + 30 + 120 + 120 = 372 cm².
  • Surface area is always measured in square units (cm²).

Example 2: Another Cuboid Calculation

  • Dimensions: Height = 2 cm, Width = 3 cm, Depth = 3 cm.
  • Front and back: 2 × 3 = 6 cm² each.
  • Right and left: 2 × 3 = 6 cm² each.
  • Top and bottom: 3 × 3 = 9 cm² each.
  • Add all face areas: 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 9 + 9 = 42 cm².

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Cuboid — A 3D shape with six rectangular faces.
  • Surface Area — The total area covering the outside of a 3D object, measured in square units.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Practice calculating the surface area of different cuboids using given dimensions.
  • Check that all six face areas are included in calculations.