How many bases does a prism have?

one

I think it can have any number. I had a glass pyramid prism with four sides, two bases (if I understand correctly) a few years ago, and now I have one that hangs with eight ‘bases’... Hope that helps!

@rojo What if it’s an equilateral rectangular prism?

@Dutchess III By my way of thinking, it would only ever sit on one surface and that would be the “base”. the other surfaces are tops and sides. Although, I think by definition, @lemming is correct and the top is also called a base. Suspended prisms throw my theory for a loop however, then there are no bases only faces.
I think that this is one of those “it depends on what your definition of ‘is’ is” things.

But if the base and the sides are the same dimension, then the base could be interchangeable, no? How many bases does a cube have? I would say 6….

The program that we use for teaching frustrates the crap out of me. Sometimes they’re so vague, and sometimes they’re flat-out wrong. From what little I understand, a triangular prism has two bases but a rectangular has one. So when they ask, “How many bases does a prisim have,” it just leaves you scratching your head.

I can’t find anything on the internet to give me a definitive answer.

But what happens to that rectangular prism when you lay it lengthwise? Does it not then have 3 bases?

I don’t understand the question. If you have a cube it can sit on any side, and whatever side it’s sitting on would be the base at that moment…6 equal sides that can be a base if it really wants to be.

A rectangular prism would have 4 equal sides that could be a base, and two ends.

Wow, Dutch, I know you sent this to me, but I don’t know. It seems to me that a prism can have as many sides as you want it to—just look at, say, a diamond crystal. But I imagine that the answer of one is correct.

To my way of thinking, the “base” is whatever it is sitting on. Why would only the larger sides of a rectangular prism be the bases?

Yeah, it seems to me that any flat/level surface could serve as a base, even if it’s the smallest part of the prism. As long as it could stand on that surface, it would count, to me. I don’t see how there could be one universal answer to that question. Weird that it was on a test. Are you sure it wasn’t “How many bases does this prism have?”, with an example of the particular prism included?

That sounds right to me too, but this dumb program that the students have to use said the correct answer was “2.” I could have understood 1, but I don’t understand 2. A rectangular prism has 6 sides…a Triangular prism has 4 sides (3 sides and the bottom)

Help somebody! Go get somebody! Go get Stevie Hawkings!!

@augustlan That’s a good question. I don’t think it did but I need to double check….I checked. It said “A prism has ____” and then there was a drop down box with the option of “1 base” or “2 bases.”