Compare the surface area of cubes and rectangular prisms before and after being scaled up (enlarged) or scaled down (reduced). Notice that 'similar shapes' in the mathematical sense have the same shape but different surface areas. Explore the relationship between side length and surface area when scaling solids. This learning object is the seventh in a series of eight objects that progressively increase in difficulty.
Objective
1. Students manipulate solids to distinguish between similar and non-similar solids.
2. Students apply a formula to calculate the surface area of a range of solids.
3. Students identify the relationship between side length and surface area in similar solids.
