Worksheets · Foundation and Higher

Prisms, cylinders and surface area

8 exam-style questions, grades 3 to 7. Worked solutions and the marks are on the last page.

  1. Question 1Non-calculator · 3 marks

    This question is about volumes of prisms.

    (a) A prism has a cross-section of area 12 cm212\text{ cm}^2 and a length of 9 cm. Work out its volume. (2)

    (b) A cuboid measures 5 cm by 4 cm by 3 cm. Work out its volume. (1)

  2. Question 2Non-calculator · 3 marks

    A prism has a right-angled triangle as its cross-section. The triangle's sides are 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm (the right angle is between the 3 cm and 4 cm sides). The prism is 10 cm long.

    (a) Work out the total surface area of the prism. (3)

  3. Question 3Non-calculator · 2 marks

    (a) A cylindrical container has internal radius 3 cm and height 14 cm. It is exactly half full of water. Work out the volume of water. Give your answer in terms of π.\pi . (2)

  4. Question 4Non-calculator · 5 marks

    A right triangular prism has perpendicular cross-section sides 6 cm and 8 cm. Its length is 5 cm.

    (a) Find the volume. (3)

    (b) Find the total surface area. (2)

  5. Question 5Non-calculator · 4 marks

    A closed cylinder has radius 3 cm and height 8 cm.

    (a) Find its volume exactly in terms of pi. (2)

    (b) Find the total surface area exactly. (2)

  6. Question 6Non-calculator · 4 marks

    An open cuboid tank has base 6 cm by 9 cm and volume 324 cm³. Its walls have negligible thickness.

    (a) Find its height. (2)

    (b) Find the area of material in its base and four sides. (2)

  7. Question 7Calculator · 4 marks

    A cylindrical tank has radius 30 cm and height 80 cm. It is full of water. The water is poured into empty cuboid containers, each 20 cm by 20 cm by 25 cm.

    (a) Work out the greatest number of containers that can be filled completely. (4)

  8. Question 8Calculator · 4 marks

    A closed cylinder has radius 5 cm and volume 1000 cm31000\text{ cm}^3.

    (a) Work out the total surface area of the cylinder. Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures. (4)

Worked solutions and marks

Question 1

(a) 108 cm3108\text{ cm}^3

  1. Volume of a prism == area of cross-section ×\times length =12×9=108= 12 \times 9 = 108.
  • M1 Writing 12×912 \times 9.
  • A1 108 cm3108\text{ cm}^3.

(b) 60 cm360\text{ cm}^3

  1. 5×4×3=605 \times 4 \times 3 = 60.
  • B1 60 cm360\text{ cm}^3.

Question 2

(a) 132 cm2132\text{ cm}^2

  1. Two triangular ends.
    2×12×3×4=122 \times \tfrac{1}{2} \times 3 \times 4 = 12
  2. Three rectangles, one for each side of the triangle.
    (3+4+5)×10=120(3 + 4 + 5) \times 10 = 120
  3. Add.
    12+120=13212 + 120 = 132
  • P1 Area of both triangular ends, 12.
  • P1 Areas of the three rectangles, 30, 40 and 50.
  • A1 132 cm2132\text{ cm}^2.

Question 3

(a) 63π63\pi

  1. π×32×14/2\pi \times 3^{2}\times 14/2
  2. A cylinder has volume πr2h\pi r^{2}h, so the full volume is π\pi ×\times 323^{2} ×\times 14 = 126π126\pi cm³.
  3. Half of this volume is 63π63\pi cm³.
  • P1 Establishing π×32×14/2\pi \times 3^{2}\times 14/2 or an equivalent valid method.
  • A1 Correct answer: 63π63\pi

Question 4

(a) 120120 cm³

  1. Find the triangular cross-section area.
    6×8/26\times 8/2
  2. Multiply by the length of the prism.
    24×524\times 5
  3. Therefore 120120 cm³.
  • P1 Find the triangular cross-section area.
  • P1 Multiply by the length of the prism.
  • A1 Correct answer: 120120 cm³

(b) 168168 cm²

  1. Add the two triangular ends and rectangles along all three triangle sides.
    2×24+5×(6+8+10)2\times 24+5\times (6+8+10)
  2. Therefore 168168 cm².
  • P1 Add the two triangular ends and rectangles along all three triangle sides.
  • A1 Correct answer: 168168 cm²

Question 5

(a) 72π72\pi

  1. Multiply the circular base area by the height.
    π×32×8\pi \times 3^{2}\times 8
  2. Therefore 72π72\pi.
  • M1 Multiply the circular base area by the height.
  • A1 Correct answer: 72π72\pi

(b) 66π66\pi

  1. Add two circular ends and the curved area.
    2π×32+2π×3×82\pi \times 3^{2}+2\pi \times 3\times 8
  2. Therefore 66π66\pi.
  • M1 Add two circular ends and the curved area.
  • A1 Correct answer: 66π66\pi

Question 6

(a) 66 cm

  1. Divide volume by base area.
    324/(6×9)324/(6\times 9)
  2. Therefore 66 cm.
  • M1 Divide volume by base area.
  • A1 Correct answer: 66 cm

(b) 234234 cm²

  1. Include the base once and the two pairs of side faces.
    6×9+2×6×(6+9)6\times 9+2\times 6\times (6+9)
  2. Therefore 234234 cm².
  • P1 Include the base once and the two pairs of side faces.
  • A1 Correct answer: 234234 cm²

Question 7

(a) 22

  1. Volume of the tank.
    π×302×80=72 000π=226 194.6… cm3\pi \times 30^2 \times 80 = 72\,000\pi = 226\,194.6\ldots\text{ cm}^3
  2. Volume of one container.
    20×20×25=10 000 cm320 \times 20 \times 25 = 10\,000\text{ cm}^3
  3. Divide.
    226 194.6÷10 000=22.6…226\,194.6 \div 10\,000 = 22.6\ldots
  4. Only 22 containers can be filled completely.
  • P1 Volume of the cylinder, π×302×80\pi \times 30^2 \times 80.
  • P1 Volume of a container, 10 000.
  • P1 Dividing the tank's volume by a container's volume.
  • A1 Correct answer: 22 containers.

Question 8

(a) 557 cm2557\text{ cm}^2

  1. Find the height from the volume.
    π×52×h=1000  ⇒  h=100025π=12.732…\pi \times 5^2 \times h = 1000 \;\Rightarrow\; h = \frac{1000}{25\pi} = 12.732\ldots
  2. Curved surface.
    2π×5×12.732…=4002\pi \times 5 \times 12.732\ldots = 400
  3. Two ends.
    2×π×52=50π=157.08…2 \times \pi \times 5^2 = 50\pi = 157.08\ldots
  4. Total.
    400+157.08…=557.08…400 + 157.08\ldots = 557.08\ldots
  • P1 Rearranging πr2h=1000\pi r^2 h = 1000 to find hh.
  • P1 The curved surface area 2πrh2\pi r h with their hh.
  • P1 Adding both circular ends, 2πr22\pi r^2.
  • A1 557 cm2557\text{ cm}^2 (awrt 557).

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Prisms, cylinders and surface area

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Independent practice for Pearson Edexcel GCSE Mathematics (1MA1), not endorsed by Pearson.

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