Maths Dictionary

Lateral Surface Area

The lateral surface area of a 3D shape is the total area of all the sides, but not including the top and bottom (the bases).

• For a cylinder, the lateral surface area is the curved side around it.
• For a cone, it is the sloping surface, not the circular base.
• For a prism, it includes all the side faces, but not the two ends.

Key Idea: Lateral surface area measures just the “side surfaces” of a solid shape.

Example:
If you peel the label off a tin can, the paper shows the cylinder’s lateral surface area.