How to Make a Hexagonal Prism Out of Paper

A collection of prisms, cones, pyramids and hemispheres. Note the hexagonal prism in the upper right corner.

Exploring geometry by using three dimensional models can help make concepts more concrete and understandable. Constructing prisms can help a student gain a greater understanding of surface area, volume and nets. A prism is a polyhedron that has two identical parallel bases. The bases are connected by parallelograms (often rectangles) referred to as lateral faces. Prisms are named by the shape of their base. Thus a hexagonal prism is a prism whose bases are hexagons.

Instructions

Draw the Hexagon Base and Lateral Faces

1. Draw an inch-long line segment near the middle of a sheet of paper, slightly off center.

2. Align the bottom of a protractor with this line. The protractor should face the center of the paper, not the edge of the paper. The center point of the protractor should align with the endpoint of the line segment.

3. Find the 120-degree mark on the protractor and use a pencil to mark the spot on the paper.

4. Align a ruler from the endpoint of the segment to the 120-degree mark. Draw another inch-long line segment, beginning from the endpoint of the first line segment.

5. Repeat this process to draw four more line segments to complete the hexagon.

6. Draw a 3- by 1-inch rectangle adjoining one side of the hexagon, noting that the side of the hexagon forms one side of the rectangle. Use a protractor as you draw to ensure that the rectangle has all 90-degree angles.

7. Draw five more identical rectangles, each one adjoining one side of the hexagon. When all six rectangles are complete, it should look like a sunburst design.

Construct the Prism

1. Cut along the outside edges of the sunburst design. Do not cut along the edges of the hexagon.

2. Fold each rectangle so that it stands vertically from the hexagon base. Tape each edge of the rectangle to the adjacent rectangle.

3. Draw another hexagon on paper that is identical to the first hexagon. It should have inch-long sides, and 120-degree angles. Cut it out.

4. Place the new hexagon on top of the prism like the lid of a box. Tape each edge of the hexagon to each of the rectangular faces.

Tips & Warnings

• The dimensions listed in this article will fit on an 8.5- by 11-inch sheet of paper. If you are using larger paper, the dimensions can be increased to form a larger prism.

• The sturdier the paper, the better. Construction paper or poster board works well for this. Regular lined notebook paper will create a fragile prism that could be easily ripped or crushed.

References

• "Geometry"; David Foster; 1998

Resources

• Mathnasium