Prism - Mass

The Mass or Weight of a Prism calculator computes the mass of a prism (see graphic) based on the dimensions of the triangular side, the length and the mean density.

INSTRUCTIONS:  Choose units and enter the following:

• (b) Base of the triangular side.
• (h) Height of the triangular side.
• (l) Length of the prism
• (mD) Mean density of the material composing the prism.

Prism Mass / Weight(M): The calculator returns the mass (M) in kilograms.   However, this can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.

The Math / Science

The formula for the volume of a triangle prism is:

              V = ½•b•h•l

where:

• V is the volume of the triangular prism
• b is the base
• h is the height
• l is the length

Once the volume is know, the mass can be computed:

           M = mD • V

where:

• M is the mass of the triangular prism
• mD is the mean density of the material in the prism
• V is the volume of the prism

Mean Density Table

Mean density is scientifically volume divided by mass.  There are  various unit for density adopted by cultures and industries. Common units for density included the following:

• kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m³)
• grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³)
• grams per liter (g/L)
• pounds per cubic feet (lb/ft³)
• ounces per cubic inch (oz/in³)
• pounds per barrel (lb/bbl)
• pounds per bushel (lb/bu)

If you want to identify a material by its density, use the Density Within Range tool.

Related Calculators:

• Compute the Volume of a Triangular Prism
• Compute Surface Area of a Triangular Prism
• Compute the Mass or Weight of a Triangular Prism
• Lookup the Mean Density or hundreds of substances.