Unit 7 Measurement

7.2 PYRAMIDS, CONES AND SPHERES

Do you remember what you learnt about pyramids, cones and spheres in your previous
grades? Can you give some examples of pyramids, cones and spheres from real life?

Definition 7.2
A pyramid is a solid figure formed when each vertex of a polygon is joined
to the same point not in the plane of the polygon (See Figure 7.17).

B
B C B
A C A C

A D E D
Triangular pyramid Quadrilateral pyramid Pentagonal pyramid
a b c
Figure 7.17

ACTIVITY 7.2
1 What is a regular pyramid?
2 What is a tetrahedron?
3 Determine whether each of the following statements is true or false:
a The lateral faces of a pyramid are triangular regions.
b The number of triangular faces of a pyramid having same vertex is equal to
the number of edges of the base.
c The altitude of a cone is the perpendicular distance from the base to the
vertex of the cone.
V
4 Using Figure 7.18, complete the following to make true statements.
a The figure is called a ______.
b The region VED is called a _______.
c The region ABCDEF is called ______.
A B
F P C
d ______ is the altitude of the pyramid.
E D
e VE and VF are called ______. Figure 7.18

277
Mathematics Grade 10

f Since ABCDEF is a hexagonal region, the pyramid is called a _______.

5 Draw a cone and indicate:
a its slant height b its base c its lateral surface.
The altitude of a pyramid is the length of the perpendicular from the vertex to the plane
containing the base.
The slant height of a regular pyramid is the altitude of any of its lateral faces.
Definition 7.3
The solid figure formed by joining all points of a circle to a point not on the
plane of the circle is called a cone.

V
Vertex
V

Slant height
Lateral
face Altitude
Lateral face

Base Base

Figure 7.19 Figure 7.20

The figure shown in Figure 7.19 represents a cone. Note that the curved surface is the
lateral surface of the cone.

A right circular cone (see Figure 7.20) is a cone with the foot of its altitude at the
centre of the base. A line segment from the vertex of a cone to any point on the
boundary of the base (circle) is called the slant height.

ACTIVITY 7.3
1 Consider a regular square pyramid with base edge 6 cm and
slant height 5 cm.
a How many lateral faces does it have?
b Find the area of each lateral face.
c Find the lateral surface area.
d Find the total surface area.
2 Try to write the formula for the total surface area of a pyramid or a cone.

278
 Unit 7 Measurement

Surface area
The lateral surface area of a regular pyramid is equal to half the product of its slant
height and the perimeter of the base. That is, V
1
AL = Pℓ,
2
where AL denotes the lateral surface area;
P denotes the perimeter of the base; ℓ
ℓ denotes the slant height. D C
AB
The total surface area (AT) of a pyramid is given by
A B
1
AT = AB + AL = AB + Pℓ, Figure 7.21
2
where AB is area of the base.
Example 1 A regular pyramid has a square base whose side is 4 cm long. The lateral
edges are 6 cm each.
a What is its slant height? b What is the lateral surface area?
V
c What is the total surface area?
Solution: Consider Figure 7.22,
6
a ( VE )2 + ( EC )2 = ( VC )2 ℓ
ℓ2 + 22 = 62
D C
ℓ2 = 32
2
O E
ℓ = 4 2 cm 2
A 4 B
Therefore, the slant height is 4 2 cm. Figure 7.22

b There are 4 isosceles triangles.

Therefore,

1 1 
AL = 4 × BC × VE = 4  × 4 × 4 2  = 32 2 cm2
2 2 
1 1
or AL = Pℓ = (4 + 4 + 4 + 4) 4 2 = 8 × 4 2 = 32 2 cm2
2 2
c AT = AL + AB = 32 2 + 4 × 4
= 32 2 + 16 = 16 (2 2 + 1 ) cm2
279
Mathematics Grade 10

The lateral surface area of a right circular cone is equal to half the product of its slant
height and the circumference of the base. That is,
1 1
AL = Pℓ = (2πr) ℓ = πrℓ;
2 2 h
ℓ
ℓ = h2 + r 2
r

Figure 7.23
where AL denotes the lateral surface area, ℓ represents the slant height, r stands for the
base radius, and h for the altitude.
The total surface area (AT) is equal to the sum of the area of the base and the lateral
surface area. That is,
AT = AL + AB = πrℓ + πr2 = πr (ℓ + r)

Example 2 The altitude of a right circular cone is 8 cm. If the radius of the base is 6 cm,
then find its:
a slant height b lateral surface area c total surface area.
Solution: Consider Figure 7.24

a ℓ= h2 + r 2 = 82 + 62 = 100

8
ℓ = 10 cm ℓ

b AL = π rℓ = π × 6 × 10 = 60π cm2
6

c AT = π r (ℓ + r) = π × 6 (10 + 6) = 6π × 16
Figure 7.24
= 96π cm2

Volume
The volume of any pyramid is equal to one third the product V

of its base area and its altitude. That is,

1
V= AB h, h
3
where V denotes the volume, AB the area of the base and AB
h the altitude. Figure 7.25

280
 Unit 7 Measurement

Example 3 Find the volume of the pyramid given in Example 1 above.

Solution: Here, we need to find the altitude of the pyramid as shown below:

( V O )2 + ( OE )2 = ( VE )2 ⇒ h2 + 22 = (4 2 )2
h2 + 4 = 32
h2 = 28 ⇒ h = 2 7 cm
1 1 32 3
V = AB h = × (4 × 4) × 2 7 = 7 cm
3 3 3
The volume of a circular cone is equal to one-third of the
product of its base area and its altitude. That is,
h ℓ
1 1
V = AB h = π r 2 h
3 3
r
where V denotes the volume, r the radius of the base
and h the altitude. Figure 7.26
Example 4 Find the volume of the right circular cone given in Example 2 above.
1 2 1
Solution: V = π r h = π (6) 2 × 8 = 96π cm 3
3 3
Example 5 Find the lateral surface area, total surface area and the volume of the
following regular pyramid and right circular cone.
V

h
12 cm

8 2 cm
D C
8 cm
E F
10 cm
A 10 cm B

a b
Figure 7.27

Solution:
a To find the lateral surface area, we must find the slant height ℓ.
In ∆VEF, we have,
(VE)2 + (EF)2 = (VF)2 ⇒ 122 + 52 = (VF)2
169 = (VF)2 ⇒ VF = 13 cm
Therefore, the slant height is 13 cm.
281
Mathematics Grade 10

1 1
Now, AL = Pℓ = (10 + 10 + 10 + 10)13 = 260 cm2
2 2
AT = AL + AB = 260 cm2 + 100 cm2 = 360 cm2
1 1
V = AB h = ×100 ×12 = 400 cm3 .
3 3
b Altitude : h = ℓ2 − r 2 = (8 2) 2 − 82 = 128 − 64 = 64 = 8 cm

AL = πrℓ = π × 8 × 8 2 = 64 2π cm2

AT = πr (ℓ + r) = 8π (8 2 + 8) = 64π ( 2 + 1) cm2
1 2 1 512π
V= π r h = π (8) 2 × 8 = cm3
3 3 3

Surface area and volume of a sphere

The sphere is another solid figure you studied in lower grades.

Definition 7.4
A sphere is a closed surface, all points of which are r
equidistant from a point called the centre.
o

Figure 7.28

The surface area (A) and the volume (V) of a sphere of

radius r are given by
r
A = 4 π r2
4
V = π r3
3

Figure 7.29

Example 6 Find the surface area and volume of a spherical gas balloon with a diameter
of 10 m.
d 10
Solution: We know that d = 2r or r = ∴r= =5m
2 2
A = 4π r2 = 4π (5)2 = 100π m2
4 4 500
V = π r 3 = π (5)3 = π m3
3 3 3
282
 Unit 7 Measurement

Exercise 7.2
1 Calculate the volume of each of the following solid figures:

20
6
15
3 5
9

10
a b c
Figure 7.30
2 One edge of a right square pyramid is 6 cm long. If the length of the lateral edge
is 8 cm, then find:
a its total surface area b its volume.
3 The altitude of a right equilateral triangular pyramid is 6 cm. If one edge of the
base is 6 cm, then find:
a its total surface area b its volume.
4 A regular square pyramid has all its edges 7 cm long. Find:
a its total surface area b its volume
5 The altitude and radius of a right circular cone are 12 cm and 5 cm respectively. Find:
a its total surface area b its volume.
6 The volume of a pyramid is 240 cm3. The pyramid has a rectangular base with
sides 6 cm by 4 cm. Find the altitude and lateral surface area of the pyramid if the
pyramid has equal lateral edges.
7 Show that the volume of a regular square pyramid whose lateral faces are
s3 2
equilateral triangles of side length s, is .
6
8 The lateral edge of a regular tetrahedron is 8 cm. Find its altitude.
9 Find the volume of a cone of height 12 cm and slant height 13 cm.
10 Find the volume and surface area of a spherical football with a radius of 10 cm.
11 A glass is in the form of an inverted cone whose base has a diameter of 20 cm. If
0.1 litres of water fills the glass completely, find the depth of water in the glass
 22 
 take π ≈  .
 7
12 A solid metal cylinder with a length of 24 cm and radius 2 cm is melted down to
form a sphere. What is the radius of the sphere?
283