Sign In
Use the formula for the volume of a prism.
≈ 27.53 yd^3
The volume of a pentagonal prism with B base area, and h height can be calculated using the formula below. V=Bh We are given a prism in horizontal position with a height of 4 and its base is a regular pentagon whose side length is 2.
Let's first find the area of the base of the prism and then the volume.
The area of a regular polygon is half the product of its apothem and perimeter. Note that we are only given the side length.
We will first need to find the perimeter and the apothem of the pentagon. Then we will use the formula A= 12ap to find the area.
In a regular pentagon all five sides have the same length. Therefore, we can obtain its perimeter by multiplying the length of a side by 5. 5* 2= 10 The perimeter of the given polygon is 10 yards.
Let's now find the apothem. To do so, we will start by drawing the radii of the pentagon. Be aware that the radii divide a regular pentagon into five congruent isosceles triangles.
Since corresponding angles of congruent figures are congruent, the vertex angles of the isosceles triangles formed by the radii are congruent. Moreover, since a full turn measures 360^(∘), we can divide 360 by 5 to obtain their measures. 360/5=72 The vertex angles of the isosceles triangles measure 72^(∘) each.
The apothem bisects both the vertex angle of the isosceles triangle and the opposite side of the vertex, which is a side of the pentagon. As a result, a 36^(∘)-54^(∘)-90^(∘) triangle is created. The length of its shorter leg is 2÷ 2=1.
To find the apothem we can use the cotangent ratio. cot36=a/1 ⇔ a=cot36≈ 1.38 Therefore, the length of the apothem is approximately 1.38 yards. However, keep in mind that, to find the exact value of the volume, we will substitute cot36 for a in the following operations.
a= cot36, p= 10
Commutative Property of Addition
1/b* a = a/b
Calculate quotient
B= 5 cot36, h= 4
Commutative Property of Multiplication
Multiply
Use a calculator
Round to 2 decimal place(s)