Parallelepiped: Definition, Formulas, Examples & Practice Questions

The concept of parallelepiped plays a key role in mathematics, especially in geometry and vectors, and is widely used in real-life applications like construction and packing. Mastering this topic helps students solve problems in exams and everyday situations with confidence.

What Is Parallelepiped?

A parallelepiped is defined as a three-dimensional solid shape that has six faces, where each face is a parallelogram. In solid geometry, you’ll find this concept applied in understanding prisms, calculating volumes, and differentiating between 3D figures like cuboids and cubes. Parallelepipeds are common in physics (calculating mass or charge in a box), engineering, and more. Examples: a brick, a shoebox, or any box-like container where the sides don’t have to be rectangles.

Key Formula for Parallelepiped

Here’s the standard formula:

Volume: \( V = |\vec{a} \cdot (\vec{b} \times \vec{c})| \)
Where a, b, and c are vectors representing three adjacent edges that meet at one vertex.

Or for rectangular parallelepiped: \( V = l \times w \times h \) (length × width × height)

Total Surface Area: \( TSA = 2(lw + wh + hl) \)

These formulas allow you to quickly find how much space a parallelepiped occupies or how much wrapping paper you’d need to cover it. For competitive exams like JEE or board tests, knowing these is essential.

Properties of Parallelepiped

• It has 6 parallelogram-shaped faces, 8 vertices, and 12 edges.
• Opposite faces are parallel and congruent.
• All body diagonals are of different lengths unless the parallelepiped is a cube.
• If all edges and angles are equal, it becomes a cube.
• A cuboid is a special parallelepiped with all faces as rectangles.

Cross-Disciplinary Usage

Parallelepiped is not only useful in Maths but also plays an important role in Physics, Computer Science, and daily logical reasoning. For instance, calculating the electric field inside a box or determining storage space for objects are practical uses. Students preparing for JEE, NEET, or even NTSE often encounter parallelepiped-based questions in vectors, geometry, and mensuration.

Step-by-Step Illustration

Let’s find the volume of a rectangular parallelepiped with length 4 cm, width 3 cm, and height 5 cm.

1. Write the formula for volume: \( V = l \times w \times h \ )

2. Substitute values: \( V = 4 \times 3 \times 5 \ )

3. Perform multiplication: \( V = 12 \times 5 = 60 \ )

4. Final answer: The volume is 60 cm³.

Parallelepiped vs. Cuboid vs. Cube

Shape	Faces	Definition
Parallelepiped	6 parallelograms	All faces are parallelograms. Includes cubes, cuboids, rhomboids as special cases.
Cuboid	6 rectangles	Opposite faces are rectangles. It is a type of parallelepiped.
Cube	6 squares	All faces are squares with equal sides and right angles. Special case of a cuboid and parallelepiped.

Practice Examples (Solved)

Example 1: The base of a parallelepiped is a parallelogram with sides 8 cm, 6 cm, and included angle 60°. Height = 10 cm. Find the volume.
1. Find area of base: Area = 8 × 6 × sin(60°) = 48 × 0.866 = 41.57 cm²

2. Volume = base area × height = 41.57 × 10 = 415.7 cm³

Example 2: A shoebox (rectangular parallelepiped) measures 30 cm × 15 cm × 10 cm. Find the total surface area.
1. TSA = 2(lw + wh + hl) = 2[(30×15)+(15×10)+(10×30)] = 2(450+150+300) = 2(900)= 1800 cm²

Speed Trick or Vedic Shortcut

When dealing with vector problems, remember—if three vectors are coplanar, the scalar triple product (the vector formula for a parallelepiped’s volume) is zero. If not, just plug in the coordinates to speed-calculate the volume. Vedantu sessions often include such handy tricks, especially for vector algebra related to parallelepipeds.

Trick for fast calculation: If the base is a rectangle or parallelogram:

• Find base area, then simply multiply by the perpendicular height (even if the sides are slanted or oblique).

For MCQs: Quickly check if all angles/edges are equal (it’s a cube), or just two sets (cuboid), or not (general parallelepiped).

Try These Yourself

• Write the definition of parallelepiped and list its properties.
• Calculate the surface area for a parallelepiped of sides 5 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm (rectangular type).
• Is every cube a parallelepiped? Is every parallelepiped a cuboid?
• Find an example of oblique parallelepiped in real life.
• Given vectors a = (2, 0, 0), b = (0, 3, 0), c = (0, 0, 4), find the volume using the vector formula.

Frequent Errors and Misunderstandings

• Mixing up parallelepiped with cuboid or cube.
• Using the wrong formula (applying only rectangular rules when the faces are not rectangles).
• Forgetting that all faces are parallelograms, not necessarily rectangles.
• Ignoring units—always use same units for all dimensions.

Relation to Other Concepts

The idea of parallelepiped connects closely with topics such as prisms, solid geometry, vectors, and scalar triple product. Understanding this shape makes it easier to master related 3D topics and vector problems in higher classes.

Classroom Tip

To quickly remember the key difference: A parallelepiped looks like a “box” where each face slants like a parallelogram. If all faces are rectangles, it’s a cuboid. If all are squares, it’s a cube. Drawing the shape or using folding paper models helps a lot—Vedantu teachers often use this trick in live classes.

We explored parallelepiped — from its definition and formulas to solved examples, tricks, and common mistakes. Keep practicing and refer to Vedantu’s Maths section for more interactive learning, tips, and stepwise problem-solving that makes you exam-ready in geometry and mensuration topics.

Related Topics for Further Reading

• Volume of Cube, Cuboid, and Cylinder
• Surface Area of Cube
• Faces, Edges, and Vertices
• Solid Geometry