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Surface Area

Maths: Edexcel IGCSE Higher, topic 4.8.2

Surface Area

The surface area of a 3D shape is the total area of all its surfaces. For a shape with only flat faces, calculate the area of each face individually then add them together.

Cube

Cube

  • A cube of side length 3cm has 6 faces each with area 9cm2 so the total surface area is 54cm2.
  • Drawing a net can be helpful for calculating the total area.
Sphere

Sphere

  • The surface area of a sphere is:
  • Area = 4πr2
Cylinder

Cylinder

  • The surface area of a cylinder is: Area = 2πrh + 2πr2
  • The length of the rectangular surface is the circumference of the base.
Cone

Cone

  • The surface of a cone is: Area = πrL + πr2
  • Where L is the slant height.

Test yourself on Surface Area

  • What is the formula for the surface area of a sphere?

  • What is the formula for the surface area of a cylinder?

Practise this topic for free