How Do You Find the Lateral and Surface Areas of a Cone if You Don't Know the Slant Height?

How Do You Find the Lateral and Surface Areas of a Cone if You Don't Know the Slant Height?

Note:

Want to find the lateral and surface areas of a cone? Don't have the slant height? No problem! This tutorial will show you how to use the Pythagorean theorem to find the slant height. Then, you'll see how to find the lateral area and surface area. Take a look!

Keywords:

  • cone
  • lateral area
  • surface area
  • known height
  • unknown slant height
  • pythagorean theorem
  • hypotenuse
  • right triangle
  • solve slant height
  • radius
  • known radius

Background Tutorials

  • Right Triangles and the Pythagorean Theorem

      • What is the Pythagorean Theorem?What is the Pythagorean Theorem?

      What is the Pythagorean Theorem?

      The Pythagorean theorem is a very popular theorem that shows a special relationship between the sides of a right triangle. In this tutorial, you'll get introduced to the Pythagorean theorem and see how it's used to solve for a missing length on a right triangle!

  • Definitions of Three-Dimensional Figures

      • What is a Cone?What is a Cone?

      What is a Cone?

      Did you know that an ice cream cone is named for its shape? Many ice cream cones are actually cones! Check out this tutorial to see what defines a cone in math. You'll also see the different parts of a cone. Take a look!

  • Surface Area Definitions and Formulas

      • How Do You Find the Slant Height of a Cone?How Do You Find the Slant Height of a Cone?

      How Do You Find the Slant Height of a Cone?

      Trying to find the slant height of a cone? Use the height of the cone and the radius of the base to form a right triangle. Then, use the Pythagorean theorem to find the slant height. Watch this tutorial to see this process step-by-step!

Further Exploration