Surface Area of a Pyramid
The lateral surface area of a regular pyramid is the sum of the areas of its lateral faces.
The total surface area of a regular pyramid is the sum of the areas of its lateral faces and its base.
The general formula for the lateral surface area of a regular pyramid is
where p represents the perimeter of the base and l the slant height.
Example 1:
Find the lateral surface area of a regular pyramid with a triangular base if each edge of the base measures 8 inches and the slant height is 5 inches.
The perimeter of the base is the sum of the sides.
p = 3(8) = 24 inches
The general formula for the total surface area of a regular pyramid is 
where p represents the perimeter of the base, l the slant height and B the area of the base.
Example 2:
Find the total surface area of a regular pyramid with a square base if each edge of the base measures 16 inches, the slant height of a side is 17 inches and the altitude is 15 inches.
The perimeter of the base is 4s since it is a square.
p = 4(16) = 64 inches
The area of the base is s2.
B = 162 = 256 inches2
T. S. A. = 
There is no formula for a surface area of a non-regular pyramid since slant height is not defined. To find the area, find the area of each face and the area of the base and add them.
