Math Vocab - Area and Surface Area Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions and formulas for 2D shape areas and 3D surface areas based on standards 6.G.A.1 and 6.G.A.4.

Area

The space inside a flat shape, such as the turf inside a football field.

Base

The bottom side of a shape, or the "floor" shape of a prism that tells you what kind of prism or pyramid it is.

Height

A straight up-and-down line that makes a right angle ($90^\times$) with the base, not the slanted side.

Parallelogram

A slanted rectangle where both pairs of sides are equal and parallel.

Trapezoid

A shape with one pair of parallel sides where the top and bottom are different lengths.

Compound Figure

A big shape made of smaller shapes stuck together that you break apart to solve.

Surface Area

The space on all the outside faces of a 3D shape, found by unfolding the shape and adding up every face.

Net

A 3D shape unfolded flat or flattened out.

Face

One flat side of a shape.

Prism

A 3D shape that has two matching ends with a middle part made of rectangles.

Pyramid

A 3D shape with one flat base and side faces that are triangles meeting at one point on top.

Lateral Face

The side faces of a 3D shape, which are not the base.

Edge

A straight line where two faces meet.

Rectangular Prism

A 3D shape with 6 faces coming in 3 matching pairs (Top & Bottom, Front & Back, Left & Right).

Triangular Prism

A 3D shape with 5 faces, consisting of 2 triangle ends and 3 rectangle sides.

Square Pyramid

A pyramid with 1 flat base and 4 triangle side faces.

Parallelogram Area Formula

$$A = b \times h$$

Triangle Area Formula

$$A = \frac{1}{2} \times b \times h$$

Trapezoid Area Formula

$$A = \frac{1}{2} \times (b_1 + b_2) \times h$$