Surface Area: What Is It and How Do We Calculate It?

Geometer students often ask what surface area is, and how to calculate it. First off, let’s start with a definition: surface area is the total area of all surfaces of a three-dimensional object. It’s important to note that surface area doesn’t include the object’s volume; it only gives us the exterior of the object.

Surface area is a key element in mathematics and physics, as it allows us to calculate areas, volumes and other properties of objects. It is particularly useful in geometry, where it helps us to understand various shapes and sizes to accurately calculate area and measure objects.

Measuring Surface Area of 3D Shapes

Calculating the surface area of a three-dimensional shape can be done in a few steps. First, measure the object’s length, width, and height to determine its three-dimensional shape. Then, you must calculate the total surface area of each side of the object. To do this, you must calculate the area of each side separately. Once you have determined the area of all the sides, add them together to get the total surface area of the object.

Let’s look at an example; let’s say I want to calculate the surface area of a box. The box has sides of length 3, width 4 and height 5. First, I need to calculate the area of each side:

• Side A is 3*5, which is 15
• Side B is 3*4, which is 12
• Side C is 4*5, which is 20

Once I’ve calculated the areas of all the sides, I then add them up to get the total surface area of the box which is 47 square units.

Understanding Surface Area in Everyday Life

Surface area is all around us in our everyday lives, and it is important to understand it to accurately calculate objects. We have likely all encountered surface area when looking at recipes; they often ask us to preheat an oven to a certain temperature, which is dependent on how much surface area the food has. The more surface area exposed, the faster the food cooks because more heat can be absorbed at once. Similarly, when it comes to buying furniture, we often need to measure the space that the furniture will be taking up and calculate the surface area to ensure it fits properly.

Calculating surface area is an essential element of geometry and physics and understanding it can be beneficial both in the classroom and in our everyday lives. Now that we have gone through the basics of surface area, you should be well-equipped to calculate the surface area of any three-dimensional shape!