FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What do you call the two parallel, congruent bases found in a prism?

1. Faces

2. Edges

3. Vertices

4. Congruent shapes

The correct answer is: Faces

In a prism, the two parallel, congruent bases are referred to as faces. Specifically, these bases are the polygonal shapes at each end of the prism that are aligned directly parallel to each other. The term "faces" encompasses all the flat surfaces of the prism, but when considering the bases specifically, we are focusing on those two congruent shapes that define the height of the prism. While edges are the line segments where two faces meet, and vertices are the points where the edges converge, these terms do not specifically denote the bases of the prism. "Congruent shapes" is a broader term that can refer to any two geometric figures that are identical in shape and size, but it does not directly correspond to the established terminology used in describing the components of a prism. Thus, identifying the bases as faces accurately captures the required definition in the context of prism geometry.