Surface Areas of Composite Solids

Contributed by:
Diego
In this pdf we will be finding surface area of composite solids. A composite solid is made up of two or more solid figures. To find the surface area of a composite solid, find the surface area of each figure.
1. English Spanish
6.6 Surface Areas of Composite Solids
How can you find the
S
STATE surface area of a composite solid?
STANDARDS
MA.7.G.2.2
1 ACTIVITY: Finding a Surface Area
Work with a partner. You are manufacturing scale models of old houses.
a. Name the four basic
solids of this
Front View
composite figure. 18 in.
b. Determine a strategy for
finding the surface area
of this model. Would
you use a scale drawing?
Would you use a net?
Explain.
60 in.
36 in. 16 in.
Many castles have cylindrical
towers with conical roofs.
These are called turrets.
36 in.
24 in.
Top View
282 Chapter 6 Surface Areas of Solids
2. English Spanish
2 ACTIVITY: Finding and Using a Pattern
Work with a partner.
● Find the surface area of each figure.
● Use a table to organize your results.
● Describe the pattern in the table.
● Use the pattern to find the surface area of the figure
that has a base of 10 blocks.
3 ACTIVITY: Finding and Using a Pattern
Work with a partner. You own a roofing company. Each building has the
same base area. Which roof would be cheapest? Which would be the most
expensive? Explain your reasoning.
flat lean-to gable hip
cross-hipped gambrel mansard cross-gabled
4. IN YOUR OWN WORDS How can you find the surface area of a
composite solid?
5. Design a building that has a turret and also has a mansard roof.
Find the surface area of the roof.
Use what you learned about the surface area of a composite solid
to complete Exercises 6 – 8 on page 286.
Section 6.6 Surface Areas of Composite Solids 283
3. English Spanish
6.6 Lesson
Lesson Tutorials
Key Vocabulary A composite solid is a figure that is made up of more than one solid.
composite solid, cone
cylinder
p. 284
composite solid
EXAMPLE 1 Identifying Solids
Identify the solids that make up Fort Matanzas, Florida.
Rectangular
prism
Cylinder
Approximately a
rectangular prism
EXAMPLE 2 Standardized Test Practice
You painted the steps to an apartment green. What is the surface area
that you painted?
20 in. 7 in.
10 in. A 210 in.2
○ B 408 in.2
○ ○
C 648 in.2 D 1056 in.2

7 in.
Find the area of each green face.
24 in.
Green area on top step:
20 in. A = 20(24) + 7(24) = 648 in.2
24 in. 7 in.
10 in. Green area on bottom step:
7 in. A = 10(24) + 7(24) = 408 in.2
24 in.
You painted 648 + 408 = 1056 square inches.
The correct answer is ○
D .
1. WHAT IF? In Example 2, you also painted the sides of the
Exercises 3–5 steps green. What is the surface area that you painted?
284 Chapter 6 Surface Areas of Solids
4. English Spanish
EXAMPLE 3 Finding the Surface Area of a Composite Solid
Find the surface area of the composite solid.
8m
The solid is made up of a square prism and a
square pyramid. Use the surface area formulas
for a prism and a pyramid, but do not include
4m
the areas of the sides that overlap.
6m
8m
6m
Do not include the top base of
the prism in the surface area.
4m
6m
6m
6m Do not include the base of the
6m
pyramid in the surface area.
Square prism
S = ℓw + 2ℓh + 2wh Write formula.
= 6(6) + 2(6)(4) + 2(6)(4) Substitute.
= 36 + 48 + 48 Multiply.
= 132 Add.
Square pyramid
S = areas of lateral faces Write formula.
(
=4 — 6 8
1
2 ⋅ ⋅ ) Substitute.
= 96 Multiply.
Find the sum of the surface areas: 132 + 96 = 228.
The surface area is 228 square meters.
Identify the solids that make up the composite solid. Then find
Exercises 6–11 the surface area. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
2. 3.
5 yd
3 yd 4 cm
5 cm
5 yd
3 cm
5 cm
3 cm
Section 6.6 Surface Areas of Composite Solids 285
5. English Spanish
6.6 Exercises
Help with Homework
1. OPEN-ENDED Draw a composite solid formed by a 7 in.
triangular prism and a cone.
2. REASONING Explain how to find the surface area of 10 in.
the composite solid.
4 in.
6)=3
9+(- 3)=
3+(- 9)=
4+(- =
1)
9+(-
Identify the solids that form the composite solid.
1 3. 4. 5.
Identify the solids that form the composite solid. Then find the surface area.
Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
2 3 6. 4 ft 7. 8m 8. 4 in.
8m
3 ft 4 in.
4m
10 m
6 ft
5 in.
6 ft
5 in.
5 in.
8 in.
9. 2 cm 10. 7 in. 11.
2.5 cm 8 ft
2 ft
2.5 cm 2 cm 8 in.
10 in.
3 cm 4 ft
6 cm 5 ft
5 cm 12 ft
8 in.
6.9 in.
12. OPEN-ENDED The solid is made using eight cubes
with side lengths of 1 centimeter.
a. Draw a new solid using eight cubes that has a
surface area less than that of the original solid.
b. Draw a new solid using eight cubes that has
a surface area greater than that of the original solid.
286 Chapter 6 Surface Areas of Solids
6. English Spanish
13. BATTERIES What is the percent increase in the surface area of the AAA battery
to the AA battery? Round your answer to the nearest tenth of a percent.
AAA battery AA battery
0.8 mm 1 mm
43 mm
3.8 mm 49 mm 5.5 mm
10 mm
14 mm
1.75 in. 5 in. 14. BARBELL The diameter of the handle of a barbell is 1 inch.
1.5 in. The hexagonal weights are identical. What is the surface
area of the barbell?
2 in.
3.5 in.
REASONING Find the surface area of the solid. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
15. 4 in. 2 in. 16. 1 ft 4 ft 17. 7 mm
5 ft
10 in. 24 mm
25 mm
4 ft
10 mm
8 ft
18. The cube is made with 27 identical cubes. All cubes that
cannot be seen are orange. Is the surface area of the solid formed
without the purple cubes greater than, less than, or equal to the
surface area of the solid formed without the green cubes? Explain
your reasoning.
Find the area. SKILLS REVIEW HANDBOOK
19. 20. 21. 7 in.
2 ft 4 cm 5 in.
8 cm 12 in.
5 ft
22. MULTIPLE CHOICE A cliff swallow nest is 86 meters above a canyon floor.
The elevation of the nest is −56 meters. What is the elevation of the canyon
floor? SECTION 2.4
A −142
○ B −30
○ ○
C 30 ○
D 142
Section 6.6 Surface Areas of Composite Solids 287