What do the two formulas have in common? To find a difference, compare their bases. Is there a unique formula to find the area of any polygon?
See solution.
Practice makes perfect
Let's begin by remembering the formulas to find the volume of a prism and the volume of a cylinder.
Volume Formulas
Prism
Cylinder
V_1=Bh
V_2 = Bh
As we can see, both formulas consist of the product between the area of the base and the height of the figure. The difference between these two figures lies in their bases.
Figure
Base
Prism
Polygon
Cylinder
Circle
For the cylinders, the base is always a circle, so the area of the base can always be calculated using the same formula.
Area of the base: π r^2
In contrast, the base of a prism varies. It can be a regular polygon or not. Therefore, there is not an unique formula to find its area.
