A Rectangular Parallelepiped is a polyhedron with six faces. Here each face is a rectangle. It can also be called a cuboid. It is a three dimensional (3D) figure. For any two dimensional or three-dimensional figures, the concept of mensuration is applied. Mensuration is the branch of geometry that deals with measurements like length, height, area, volume in 2D/3D figures. It includes the computation of mathematical formulas and algebraic expressions.

Rectangular Parallelepiped Formula

Rectangular Parallelepiped Formula

Surface Area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped figure

In the Rectangular Parallelepiped figure, there are six rectangles. To determine the surface area of it we need to find the area of six rectangles (faces). The formula for the surface area is given by

Surface Area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped figure

Surface Area = 2(l×h) + 2(l×w) + 2(h×w)

S = 2[(l×h) + (l×w) + (h×w)]

where 

l, w, h are length, width, height respectively.

Lateral Surface Area of Rectangular Parallelepiped figure

Lateral Surface Area can be defined as the product of perimeter of base and height. In a rectangular parallelepiped figure, each face is a rectangle so the perimeter of the base is equal to the perimeter of rectangle. The formula for LSA (Lateral surface area) is given by

Lateral Surface Area of Rectangular Parallelepiped figure

LSA = Perimeter of base × Height

As perimeter of base is equal to 2(length+width)

= 2(length + width) × Height

LSA = 2lh + 2wh

where

l, w, h are length, width and height respectively.

From the above formula, It can also be said that

Surface Area (Total) = Lateral surface area + 2lw

Also Check:

• Surface Areas and Volumes
• Surface Area Formulas for Different Geometrical Figures
• Surface Area of Sphere
• Surface Area of Cone
• Real Life Applications of Surface Area
• Surface Area of a Prism Formula

Volume of Rectangular Parallelepiped figure

The volume of rectangular parallelepiped can be defined as the product of the area of the base and height. As each face in a rectangular parallelepiped is rectangle, the base is also a rectangle and the area of base is the product of length and width. The formula for volume is given by-

Volume = area of base × height

V = l × w × h

Diagonal length of Rectangular Parallelepiped figure

The length of diagonal of rectangular parallelepiped figure with length l, width w and height h can be calculated by the below formula-

[Tex]Diagonal\ length=\sqrt{l^2+w^2+h^2}[/Tex]

Let’s look into couple of questions based on Rectangular Parallelepiped Figure:

Sample Questions

Question 1: What is the surface area of Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 6cm, width 3cm and height 2cm.

Solution:

Given

length(l) = 6cm

width(w) = 3cm

height(h) = 2cm

Surface Area = 2[(l×h)+(l×w)+(h×w)]

= 2[(6×2)+(6×3)+(2×3)]

= 2[12+18+6]

= 2×36

= 72 sq.cm

So, Surface area for the given figure is 72 sq.cm

Question 2: Find the surface area of the Rectangular Parallelepiped figure with length, width and height is 7cm, 5cm, 3cm respectively.

Solution:

Given

length(l) = 7cm

width(w) = 5cm

height(h) = 3cm

Surface Area = 2[(l×h)+(l×w)+(h×w)]

= 2[(7×3)+(7×5)+(3×5)]

= 2[21+35+15]

= 2×71

= 142 sq.cm

So, Surface area for the given figure is 142 sq.cm

Question 3: What is the lateral surface area of Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 6cm, width 3cm and height 2cm.

Solution:

Given

length(l) = 6cm

width(w) = 3cm

height(h) = 2cm

Lateral Surface Area = 2(l+w)×h

= 2(6+3)×3

= 2(9)×3

= 18×3

= 54 sq.cm

So, Lateral Surface area for the given figure is 54 sq.cm

Question 4: What is the volume of rectangular parallelepiped figures if the measurements such as length, width and height are 4cm, 3cm, 2cm respectively.

Solution:

Given,

length(l) = 4cm

width(w) = 3cm

height(h) = 2cm

volume = l × w × h

= 4 × 3 × 2

= 24cm³

Volume of given rectangular parallelepiped figure is 24cm³.

Question 5: Find the volume of rectangular parallelepiped figure if the length is 5cm, width is 4cm and height is 4cm.

Solution:

Given,

length(l) = 5cm

width(w) = 4cm

height(h) = 4cm

volume = l × w × h

= 5 × 4 × 4

= 80cm³

Volume of given rectangular parallelepiped figure is 80cm³.

Question 6: Find the volume of rectangular parallelepiped figure if the length is 5cm, width is 4cm and height is 2cm.

Solution:

Given,

length(l) = 5cm

width(w) = 4cm

height(h) = 2cm

Diagonal length = [Tex]\sqrt{l^2+w^2+h^2}[/Tex]

= [Tex]\sqrt{5^2+4^2+2^2}[/Tex]

= [Tex]\sqrt{25+16+4}[/Tex]

= [Tex]\sqrt{45}[/Tex]

= 6.7 cm

Diagonal length of given rectangular parallelepiped figure is 6.7cm.

Question 7: Find the volume of rectangular parallelepiped figures if the length, width and height are 4cm, 2cm and 0.5cm respectively.

Solution:

Given,

length(l) = 4cm

width(w) = 2cm

height(h) = 0.5cm

Diagonal length = [Tex]\sqrt{l^2+w^2+h^2}[/Tex]

= [Tex]\sqrt{4^2+2^2+(0.5)^2}[/Tex]

= [Tex]\sqrt{16+4+0.25}[/Tex]

= [Tex]\sqrt{20.25}[/Tex]

= 4.5 cm

Diagonal length of given rectangular parallelepiped figure is 4.5cm.

Practice Problems – Rectangular Parallelepiped Formula

1. Find the surface area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 8cm, width 5cm, and height 4cm.

2. Determine the lateral surface area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 7cm, width 3cm, and height 6cm.

3. Calculate the volume of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with dimensions length 10cm, width 2cm, and height 5cm.

4. What is the diagonal length of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 6cm, width 2cm, and height 3cm?

5. Find the surface area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 9cm, width 4cm, and height 7cm.

6. Determine the volume of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 5cm, width 5cm, and height 5cm.

7. Calculate the lateral surface area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 3cm, width 2cm, and height 8cm.

8. What is the volume of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 12cm, width 3cm, and height 2cm?

9. Find the surface area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 6cm, width 6cm, and height 6cm.

10. Determine the diagonal length of a Rectangular Parallelepiped with length 8cm, width 4cm, and height 3cm.

Conclusion

To solve many problems in geometry it is important to be able to describe properties of a Rectangular Parallelepiped (or Cuboid) and perform associated calculations. The measure of the surface area, lateral surface area, volume and the length of a diagonal are basic geometrical properties which can be calculated by the help of definite formulas. Able to be applied on practical problems, these calculations are useful in architecture, engineering, and also many physical sciences. The required skills can be attained through solving various problems and using the given formulas in order to successfully mensuration three-dimensional figures.

FAQs on Rectangular Parallelepiped Formula

What is a Rectangular Parallelepiped?

A Rectangular Parallelepiped is a solid geometric figure with all the opposite faces being rectangular in shape and equal in size and all of them are parallel to each other.

How do you calculate the surface area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped?

The surface area is calculated using the formula:

Surface Area=2[(l×h)+(l×w)+(h×w)]

What is the formula for the volume of a Rectangular Parallelepiped?

The volume is given by: Volume=l×w×h

How is the diagonal length of a Rectangular Parallelepiped determined?

The diagonal length can be determined using the formula: [Tex]\text{Diagonal length} = \sqrt{l^2 + w^2 + h^2} [/Tex]

What is the Lateral Surface Area of a Rectangular Parallelepiped?

The Lateral Surface Area is the sum of the areas of the four lateral faces and can be calculated using:

LSA=2(l+w)×h

How many edges does a Rectangular Parallelepiped have?

A Rectangular Parallelepiped has 12 edges.

What is the difference between a Rectangular Parallelepiped and a Cube?

A Rectangular Parallelepiped has all faces as rectangles, while a Cube has all faces as squares.

Is a Rectangular Parallelepiped the same as a Cuboid?

Yes, a Rectangular Parallelepiped is also known as a Cuboid.

Can the length, width, and height of a Rectangular Parallelepiped be equal?

Yes, when the length, width, and height are equal, the Rectangular Parallelepiped becomes a cube.