How do you calculate the surface area of different 3D shapes?

The surface area of a 3D shape refers to the total area that the surface of the shape covers. The method of calculation can differ depending on the shape of the object.

For a cube, the surface area can be calculated by multiplying the area of one face by 6. So, if a cube has sides of length 's', then the surface area would be 6s².

A rectangular prism can be thought of as a stretched cube, so the surface area of a rectangular prism is calculated by multiplying the sum of the areas of the faces by 2. If a rectangular prism has length 'l', width 'w', and height 'h', then the surface area would be 2lw + 2lh + 2wh.

The surface area of a sphere can be calculated by using the formula 4πr², where 'r' is the radius of the sphere.

A cylinder has two circular faces and a rectangular side, so the surface area can be calculated by adding the areas of the two circular faces to the area of the rectangle. If a cylinder has radius 'r' and height 'h', then the surface area would be 2πr² + 2πrh.

A pyramid has a rectangular base and triangular faces. To calculate the surface area, find the area of the rectangular base and add the areas of the triangles. If a pyramid has base dimensions 'b' and 'w', and height 'h', then the surface area would be bw + 2((1/2)bh + (1/2)wh).