Prisms

A prism has the same cross section all along its length !

A cross section is the shape you get when cutting straight across an object.

The cross section of this object is a triangle ... .. it has the same cross section all along its length ... ... and so it's a triangular prism.

Try drawing a shape on a piece of paper (using straight lines!), Then imagine it extending up from the sheet of paper, - that's a prism !

No Curves!
A prism is a polyhedron, which means the cross section will be a polygon (a straight-edged figure) ... so all sides will be flat! No curved sides. For example, a cylinder is not a prism, because it has curved sides.

These are all Prisms:

Square Prism: Cross-Section:

Cube:

Cross-Section:

(yes, a cube is a prism, because it is a square all along its length) (Also see Rectangular Prisms ) Triangular Prism: Cross-Section:

Pentagonal Prism:

Cross-Section:

Regular and Irregular Prisms

All the previous examples are Regular Prisms, because the cross section is regular (in other words it is a shape with equal edge lengths, and equal angles.) Here is an example of an Irregular Prism: Irregular Pentagonal Prism:

Cross-Section (It is "irregular" because the Pentagon is not "regular"in shape)

Volume of a Prism
The Volume of a prism is simply the area of one end times the length of the prism Volume = Area Length Example: What is the volume of a prism whose ends have an area of 25 in2 and which is 12 in long: Answer: Volume = 25 in2 12 in = 300 in3 (Note: we have an Area Calculation Tool)

Other Things to Know

The sides of a prism are parallelograms (flat shapes that have opposites sides parallel).

A prism can lean to one side, making it an oblique prism, but the two ends are still parallel, and the sides are still parallelograms!

But if the two ends are not parallel it is not a prism.

Polyhedrons
A polyhedron is a solid with flat faces (from Greek poly- meaning "many" and -edron meaning "face"). Each face is a polygon (a flat shape with straight sides). So, to be a polyhedron there should be no curved surfaces.

Examples of Polyhedra:

Triangular Prism

Cube

Dodecahedron

Common Polyhedra
Platonic Solids

Prisms

Pyramids

Many More

Explore 100s of Animated Polyhedron Models. You can also see some Images of Polyhedra if you want.

Counting Faces, Vertices and Edges

If you count the number of faces (the flat surfaces), vertices (corner points), and edges of a polyhedron, you can discover an interesting thing: The number of faces plus the number of vertices minus the number of edges equals 2 This can be written neatly as a little equation:
F+V-E=2

It is known as Euler's Formula (or the "Polyhedral Formula") and is very useful to make sure you have counted correctly!

Let's try some examples: This cube has:

6 Faces 8 Vertices (corner points) 12 Edges F + V - E = 6+8-12 = 2

This prism has:

5 Faces 6 Vertices (corner points) 9 Edges F + V - E = 5+6-9 = 2

But there are cases where it does not work! Read Euler's Formula for more.

Polygons
A polygon is a plane shape with straight sides.

Is it a Polygon?
Polygons are 2-dimensional shapes. They are made of straight lines, and the shape is "closed" (all the lines connect up).

Polygon

Not a Polygon

Not a Polygon

(straight sides)

(has a curve)

(open, not closed)

Polygon comes from Greek. Poly- means "many" and -gon means "angle".

Types of Polygons
Simple or Complex

A simple polygon has only one boundary, and it doesn't cross over itself. A complex polygon intersects itself! Many rules about polygons don't work when it is complex.

Simple Polygon (this one's a Pentagon) Concave or Convex

Complex Polygon (also a Pentagon)

A convex polygon has no angles pointing inwards. More precisely, no internal angles can be more than 180. If there are any internal angles greater than 180 then it is concave. (Think: concave has a "cave" in it)

Convex Regular or Irregular

Concave

If all angles are equal and all sides are equal, then it is regular, otherwise it is irregular

Regular

Irregular

More Examples

Complex Polygon (a "star polygon", in this case, a pentagram)

Concave Octagon

Irregular Hexagon

Play With Them!

Try Interactive Polygons ... make them concave, complex or regular.

Names of Polygons
If it is a Regular Polygon... Name Triangle (or Trigon) Sides 3 Shape Interior Angle 60

Quadrilateral (or Tetragon)

90

Pentagon

108

Hexagon

120

Heptagon (or Septagon)

128.571

Octagon

135

Nonagon (or Enneagon)

140

Decagon

10

144

Hendecagon (or Undecagon)

11

147.273

Dodecagon Triskaidecagon Tetrakaidecagon Pentadecagon Hexakaidecagon Heptadecagon Octakaidecagon Enneadecagon Icosagon Triacontagon Tetracontagon

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 30 40

150 152.308 154.286 156 157.5 158.824 160 161.053 162 168 171

Pentacontagon Hexacontagon Heptacontagon Octacontagon Enneacontagon Hectagon Chiliagon Myriagon Megagon Googolgon n-gon

50 60 70 80 90 100 1,000 10,000 1,000,000 10100 n

172.8 174 174.857 175.5 176 176.4 179.64 179.964 ~180 ~180 (n-2) 180 / n

For polygons with 13 or more sides, it is OK (and easier) to write "13-gon", "14-gon" ... "100-gon", etc.