What is a Pyramid?
Your Child has asked the question, and you are in the right place to get the answers.

Parts of a Pyramid

Knowing how to label the different parts of a pyramid is essential to understanding other areas of this section k6 Geometric Shapes.


Looking at the above image, you can see there are quite a number of different parts, so lets start with the ones you are probably familiar with:

• Base: The red square in this image. In general it is the part that the pyramid will rest upon.
• Vertex: The point where all the lateral triangular faces meet.
• Height: The perpendicular distance from the vertex to the base.
• Face: The sides of the pyramid (which must always be triangles).
• Slant Height: This is the distance from the Vertex to one of the base polygons sides connected by a line perpendicular to the base line.This is also referred to as side length. I personally have found confusion with this reference as most children consider side length to be the length of one side of the base. I just suggest you use the term your child is being taught at school.

Surface Area and Volume of a Pyramid


The Different Types of Pyramids

There are as many different types of pyramids, as there are shapes! A pyramid is named after the shape of its base, so bellow, I am going to list the most commonly studied pyramids at the elementary level.

Triangular Pyramid
Square Pyramid
Rectangular Pyramid
Pentagonal Pyramid
Hexagonal Pyramid

Regular and Irregular Pyramids

Whether a Pyramid is Regular or Irregular is dictated by the type of Polygon it has as its base.
All these pyramids, above, are regular pyramids, as they are created using a Regular Polygon as the base.
An irregular Pyramid, is simply a pyramid created by an irregular polygon as its base.


Right and Oblique Pyramids

This type of Pyramid is dictated by the position of its vertex.
If the vertex is directly above the center point of the polygon creating the pyramid, then it is a Right Pyramid.
If the vertex is situated ANYWHER other than directly above the center of the polygon, then it is an Oblique Pyramid.

I hope you enjoy this section of my site. If you have any comments or suggestions, on how I can make this geometry resource better for you please don't hesitate to contact me.



Now that you can answer the questionWhat is a Pyramid? Why not explore the other areas of 3D Geometry.
or
Return to our k6 geometric shapes home page to explore more great basic geometry