By Fatskills Exam Guides Team — the exam nerds behind 28,500+ quizzes and 2.1M practice questions across 500+ global exams.
CHAPTER: SURFACE AREAS AND VOLUMES: COMBINATIONS
1. PREREQUISITES
2. MASTER ORGANIZER
3. DIAGRAMS TO KNOW
Common exam focus: Finding volume and surface area
2. Frustum of a Cone
3. Cylinder and Cone
4. RAPID REVISION SHEET
5. STEP-BY-STEP PROBLEM SOLVER
Problem Type 1: Finding Volume of a Combination of Cubes
Problem: Find the volume of a combination of two cubes with side lengths 4 cm and 8 cm.
Step 1 → Find the volume of each cube using the formula V = s^3.Volume of the first cube = 4^3 = 64 cm^3 Volume of the second cube = 8^3 = 512 cm^3
Step 2 → Add the volumes of the two cubes to find the total volume.Total volume = 64 cm^3 + 512 cm^3 = 576 cm^3
Common Mistakes to Avoid: Forgetting to subtract overlapping volumes or using an incorrect formula.
Problem Type 2: Finding Surface Area of a Frustum of a Cone
Problem: Find the surface area of a frustum of a cone with a height of 12 cm, a radius of 4 cm at the larger base, and a radius of 2 cm at the smaller base.
Step 1 → Find the slant height of the frustum using the formula l = sqrt(h^2 + (R - r)^2).Slant height = sqrt(12^2 + (4 - 2)^2) = sqrt(144 + 4) = sqrt(148)
Step 2 → Find the surface area of the frustum using the formula SA = πl(R + r) + π(R^2 + r^2).Surface area = π * sqrt(148) * (4 + 2) + π * (4^2 + 2^2) Surface area ≈ 3.14159 * 12.165 * 6 + 3.14159 * (16 + 4) Surface area ≈ 220.34 + 20.27 Surface area ≈ 240.61 cm^2
Common Mistakes to Avoid: Forgetting to use the correct formula or neglecting to consider the curved surface.
Problem Type 3: Finding Volume of a Combination of Cones
Problem: Find the volume of a combination of two cones with radii 4 cm and 8 cm and heights 10 cm and 20 cm.
Step 1 → Find the volume of each cone using the formula V = 1/3 πr^2h.Volume of the first cone = 1/3 π * 4^2 * 10 = 1/3 * 3.14159 * 16 * 10 = 167.64 cm^3 Volume of the second cone = 1/3 π * 8^2 * 20 = 1/3 * 3.14159 * 64 * 20 = 1344 cm^3
Step 2 → Add the volumes of the two cones to find the total volume.Total volume = 167.64 cm^3 + 1344 cm^3 = 1511.64 cm^3
Common Mistakes to Avoid: Forgetting to use the correct formula or neglecting to consider the given values.
6. COMMON CONFUSIONS SHEET
7. COMMON MISTAKES & TRAPS
Mistake/Trap: Forgetting to subtract overlapping volumes when finding the volume of a combination of cubes → Why it happens: Students often neglect to consider the volumes of individual cubes and their overlapping parts. → How to avoid: Practice problems with different types of combinations of cubes and consider all the given values.
Mistake/Trap: Using an incorrect formula when finding the surface area of a frustum of a cone → Why it happens: Students often forget to use the correct formula or neglect to consider the curved surface. → How to avoid: Practice problems with different types of frustums of cones and use the correct formula.
Mistake/Trap: Forgetting to use the correct formula when finding the volume of a combination of cones → Why it happens: Students often neglect to use the correct formula or forget to consider the given values. → How to avoid: Practice problems with different types of combinations of cones and use the correct formula.
8. EXAM ANSWER BUILDER
Key tip to answer it well: Recall the formula V = V1 + V2 + ... + Vn and practice problems with different types of combinations of cubes.
3-mark question: Find the surface area of a frustum of a cone with a height of 15 cm, a radius of 5 cm at the larger base, and a radius of 3 cm at the smaller base.
Key tip to answer it well: Use the correct formula SA = πl(R + r) + π(R^2 + r^2) and find the slant height using the formula l = sqrt(h^2 + (R - r)^2).
5-mark question: Find the volume and surface area of a combination of two cones with radii 5 cm and 8 cm and heights 12 cm and 15 cm.
Join 4M+ learners. Unlock unlimited quizzes, wrong-answer tracking, flashcards + reminders, study guides, and 1-on-1 challenges.