What is Area?
Area is a measure of the space occupied by a 2D flat surface or the space taken by the outer surface of 3 D object. It’s usually measured in square units like square meters, square feet, or acres.
Total Surface Area includes complete surface area i.e. curved area + area of the base, whereas Lateral surface area or Curved surface area includes only the curved area of the shape.
In the below table, we have listed down a few important shapes and important terms related to them.
| Name of Shape | Perimeter | Total Surface Area | Curved Surface Area/ Lateral Surface Area | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | 4b | b2 | —- | Square |
| Rectangle | 2(w+h) | w×h | —- | Rectangle |
| Parallelogram | 2(a+b) | b×h | Parallelogram |
|
| Trapezoid | a+b+c+d | 1/2(a+b).h | —- | Trapezoid |
| Circle | 2πr | πr2 | —- | Circle |
| Ellipse | 2π√(a2 + b2)/2 | π a.b | —- | Ellipse |
| Triangle | a+b+c | 1/2 (b×h) | —- | Triangle |
| Cuboid | 4(l+b+h) | 2(lb+bh+hl) | 2h(l+b) | Cuboid |
| Cube | 6a | 6a2 | 4a2 | Cube |
| Cylinder | —- | 2 π r(r+h) | 2πrh | Cylinder |
| Cone | —- | π r(r+l) | π r l | Cone |
| Sphere | —- | 4πr2 | 4πr2 | Sphere |
| Hemisphere | —- | 3πr2 | πr2 | Hemisphere |
Area – Aptitude Questions and Answers
Surface area topic is an integral part of various competitive examinations in India. They are an important part of Geometry which is usually asked in Quantitative Aptitude. Being able to understand and solve area questions quickly and accurately is essential to help you score well in exams.
This article aims to provide you with information on how to calculate the surface area of various 2D and 3D shapes, some important concepts, shortcuts, and tricks related to Areas along with practice questions and their detailed solutions.
Table of Content
- What are Shapes?
- What is Area?
- Tips to Prepare for Surface Area Questions
- Surface Area Questions and Answers