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DP IB Maths: AI SL Your notes

3.2 Geometry of 3D Shapes

Contents
3.2.1 3D Coordinate Geometry
3.2.2 Volume & Surface Area

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3.2.1 3D Coordinate Geometry

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3D Coordinate Geometry
How does the 3D coordinate system work?
In three-dimensional space we can label where any object is using the x-y-z coordinate system
In the 3D cartesian system, the x- and y- axes usually represent lateral space (length and width) and the
z-axis represents vertical height

What can we do with 3D coordinates?

If we have two points with coordinates (x1 , y1 , z1) and (x2 , y2 , z2) then we should be able to nd:
The midpoint of the two points
The distance between the two points
If the coordinates are labelled A and B then the line segment between them is written with the notation
[AB]

How do I nd the midpoint of two points in 3D?

The midpoint is the average (middle) point
It can be found by nding the middle of the x-coordinates and the middle of the y-coordinates
The coordinates of the midpoint will be
⎛⎜ x 1 + x 2 y 1 + y 2 z 1 + z 2 ⎞⎟
⎜⎜ , , ⎟⎟
⎝ 2 2 2 ⎠
This is given in the formula booklet, you do not need to remember it

How do I nd the distance between two points in 3D?

The distance between two points with coordinates ((x1 , y1 , z1) and (x2 , y2 , z2) can be found using the
formula
d= (x 1 − x 2) 2 + (y 1 − y 2) 2 + (z 1 − z 2) 2
This is given in the formula booklet, you do not need to remember it

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Worked example
Your notes
The points A and B have coordinates (-2, 1, 5) and (4, -3, 2) respectively.
i) Calculate the distance of the line segment AB.

ii) Find the midpoint of [AB ].

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3.2.2 Volume & Surface Area

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Volume of 3D Shapes
What is volume?
The volume of a 3D shape is a measure of how much 3D space it takes up
A 3D shape is also called a solid
You need to be able to calculate the volume of a number of common shapes

How do I nd the volume of cuboids, prisms and cylinders?

A prism is a 3−D shape that has two identical base shapes connected by parallel edges
A prism has the same base shape all the way through
A prism takes its name from its base
To nd the volume of any prism use the formula:
Volume of a prism = Ah
Where A is the area of the cross section and h is the base height
h could also be the length of the prism, depending on how it is oriented
This is in the formula booklet in the prior learning section at the beginning
The base could be any shape so as long as you know its area and length you can calculate the
volume of any prism

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Note two special cases:

To nd the volume of a cuboid use the formula:
Your notes
Volume of a cuboid = length × width × height
V = lwh
The volume of a cylinder can be found in the same way as a prism using the formula:
Volume of a cylinder = π r 2 h
where r is the radius, h is the height (or length, depending on the orientation
Note that a cylinder is technically not a prism as its base is not a polygon, however the method for
nding its volume is the same
Both of these are in the formula booklet in the prior learning section
How do I nd the volume of pyramids and cones?
In a right-pyramid the apex (the joining point of the triangular faces) is vertically above the centre of
the base
The base can be any shape but is usually a square, rectangle or triangle
To calculate the volume of a right-pyramid use the formula
1
V= Ah
3
Where A is the area of the base, h is the height
Note that the height must be vertical to the base
A right cone is a circular-based pyramid with the vertical height joining the apex to the centre of the
circular base
To calculate the volume of a right-cone use the formula
1
V= π r2 h
3
Where r is the radius, h is the height
These formulae are both given in the formula booklet

How do I nd the volume of a sphere?

To calculate the volume of a sphere use the formula
4
V= π r3
3
Where r is the radius
the line segment from the centre of the sphere to the surface

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This formula is given in the formula booklet

Your notes
Examiner Tip
Remember to make use of the formula booklet in the exam as all the volume formulae you need will
be here
Formulae for basic 3D objects (cuboid, cylinder and prism) are in the prior learning section
Formulae for other 3D objects (pyramid, cone and sphere) are in the Topic 3: Geometry
section

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Worked example
Your notes
A dessert can be modelled as a right-cone of radius 3 cm and height 12 cm and a scoop of ice-cream
in the shape of a sphere of radius 3 cm. Find the total volume of the ice-cream and cone.

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Surface Area of 3D Shapes

What is surface area? Your notes
The surface area of a 3D shape is the sum of the areas of all the faces that make up a shape
A face is one of the at or curved surfaces that make up a 3D shape
It often helps to consider a 3D shape in the form of its 2D net

How do I nd the surface area of cuboids, pyramids and prisms?

Any prisms and pyramids that have polygons as their bases have only at faces
The surface area is simply found by adding up the areas of these at faces
Drawing a 2D net will help to see which faces the 3D shape is made up of
How do I nd the surface area of cylinders, cones and spheres?
Cones, cylinders and spheres all have curved faces so it is not always as easy to see their shape
The net of a cylinder is made up of two identical circles and a rectangle
The rectangle is the curved surface area and is harder to identify
The length of the rectangle is the same as the circumference of the circle
The area of the curved surface area is
A = 2πrh
where r is the radius, h is the height
This is given in the formula book in the prior learning section
The area of the total surface area of a cylinder is
A = 2πrh + 2πr 2
This is not given in the formula book, however it is easy to put together as both the area of a circle
and the area of the curved surface area are given
The net of a cone consists of the circular base along with the curved surface area
The area of the curved surface area is
A = πrl
Where r is the radius and l is the slant height
This is given in the formula book
Be careful not to confuse the slant height, l, with the vertical height, h
Note that r, h and l will create a right-triangle with l as the hypotenuse
The area of the total surface area of a cone is
A = πrl + πr 2
This is not given in the formula book, however it is easy to put together as both the area of a circle
and the area of the curved surface area are given
To nd the surface area of a sphere use the formula
A = 4πr 2
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where r is the radius (line segment from the centre to the surface)
This is given in the formula booklet, you do not have to remember it
Your notes
Examiner Tip
Remember to make use of the formula booklet in the exam as all the area formulae you need will be
here
Formulae for basic 2D shapes (parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid, circle, curved surface of a
cylinder) are in the prior learning section
Formulae for other 2D shapes (curved surface area of a cone and surface area of a sphere ) are
in the Topic 3: Geometry section

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Worked example
Your notes
In the diagram below ABCD is the square base of a right pyramid with vertex V . The centre of the base
is M. The sides of the square base are 3.6 cm and the vertical height is 8.2 cm.

i) Use the Pythagorean Theorem to nd the distance VN.

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ii) Calculate the area of the triangle ABV.

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Your notes

iii) Find the surface area of the right pyramid.

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