These NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Maths Chapter 12 Solutions work out every Surface Areas and Volumes problem step by step. Each answer shows how to use the surface area and volume formulas for solids, combinations, and conversions. The full set follows the 2026-27 CBSE syllabus.

  • 36 Exemplar problems across four exercises: MCQs, true-or-false, short-answer, and long-answer questions on surface areas and volumes of cones, cylinders, spheres, frustums, and combined solids.
  • Every solution starts with the key formula, works step by step, and checks units so no mark slips away.
  • Free PDF download, plus a solved question bank you can open right on this page.
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Solved by Collegedunia: Every question here is worked out by our Maths faculty, checked against the official NCERT Exemplar, and set to the 2026-27 CBSE syllabus.

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Exemplar Question-Type Distribution

The Exemplar set spans four exercises. Each one tests a different skill level. The MCQs check fast formula recall. The long-answer set asks for multi-step problems on combined solids and conversions.

ExerciseQuestion TypeCountWhat It Tests
Exercise 12.1MCQ (objective)12Choose the correct surface area or volume of a solid given its dimensions; all options look plausible if the wrong formula is applied or dimensions are mixed up
Exercise 12.2True or False (justify)4Evaluate statements about volumes and surface areas of solids; write a full justification or provide a counterexample
Exercise 12.3Short answer (compute)8Find surface areas or volumes using given dimensions; some require two-step substitutions involving a frustum or sphere melted into a cylinder
Exercise 12.4Long answer (application)12Solve multi-step real-world problems on combined solids, conversions, and shaded-region volumes

The full set has 36 problems. Start with the MCQs to fix which formula fits each solid, justify the true-or-false statements, build speed on the short-answer set, then finish with the board-style long-answer problems.

Key Formulas & Concepts

Every Exemplar problem rests on the core surface area and volume formulas. Get these right and no problem will block you. The three most tested solids in board exams are the cylinder, cone, and sphere.

Surface Area Formulas

  • Curved Surface Area of a cylinder = 2πrh. The total surface area adds both circular bases: 2πr(r + h). The most common slip is forgetting the two ends when the question asks for "total surface area".
  • Curved Surface Area of a cone = πrl, where l is the slant height, l = r2 + h2. Total surface area = πr(r + l). Always compute l first from r and h before substituting into the CSA formula.
  • Surface area of a sphere = 4πr2. Curved surface area of a hemisphere = 2πr2; total surface area of a hemisphere = 3πr2 (CSA + base circle).
  • Curved Surface Area of a frustum = π(r1 + r2)l, where l = h2 + (r1 - r2)2. Total surface area of frustum = π(r1 + r2)l + πr12 + πr22.

Volume Formulas

SolidVolume FormulaKey Note
Cylinderπr2hThe most frequently used in conversion problems; keep r and h in the same unit
Cone13πr2hOne-third of the cylinder with the same base; melting a solid often converts cone to sphere or cylinder
Sphere43πr3Volume of hemisphere = 23πr3
Frustum of coneπh3(r12 + r22 + r1r2)Used when a cone is cut parallel to its base; r1 and r2 are the two circular face radii
Cuboidl × b × hAppears in combination problems where a cuboid block has holes drilled through it

Combination Solid Strategy

  • Decompose the figure into standard solids first. Exercise 12.4 gives rockets (cone on cylinder), toys (hemisphere on cone), and barns (cylinder with conical roof).
  • For conversion problems, set volumes equal: Volumeoriginal = n × Volumenew, then solve for n or the dimension asked.
  • A sphere just fitting a cylinder has radius = height / 2.

Before each problem, write the formula, label every sub-solid, and keep π exact unless the question gives a value. Then check that the unit matches.

How These Solutions Help

These solutions are built for self-study before the board exam. Each one does three things:

  • Decompose the solid first: every solution lists the sub-solids before any calculation.
  • Show the formula before substitution: CBSE gives a method mark for the formula, even if the arithmetic slips.
  • Add an Expert view: a faster route, like spotting two solids that share a radius.

Try each question yourself first. Draw the figure, label the sub-solids, then open Check Solution to compare. Read Expert Solution last.

Exemplar vs Textbook: Where Difficulty Jumps

The textbook uses direct formulas on standard solids. The Exemplar raises the bar: judge geometric statements, handle real-world scenarios, and solve word problems without a diagram. The table shows where difficulty climbs.

SkillNCERT TextbookNCERT Exemplar
Surface area of a solidApply one formula with the given dimensionsMCQs give plausible wrong options that result from using CSA instead of TSA or mixing r and h
Combination solidsStandard two-solid combinations with figures pre-labelledExercise 12.4 introduces three-solid combinations and asks for the surface area of the exposed faces only
Conversion of solidsOne solid melted into another; dimensions directly givenExercises 12.3 and 12.4 require finding a missing dimension (radius or height) after melting, not just the number of new solids
True or falseNo such exercise type in Chapter 12Exercise 12.2 asks students to evaluate statements like "if a solid sphere is melted and recast into solid hemispheres, the number is 2" and write a full justification
Real-world contextStraightforward uniform solidsBucket-as-frustum, toy-on-a-stick, and water-tank-with-hemispherical-dome problems all appear in Exercise 12.4

This is why solving the Exemplar after the textbook is the standard board-prep order. It pushes you to break down unfamiliar figures, judge claims, and find missing dimensions after melting.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Across all four exercises, these four slips cost the most marks:

  • CSA instead of TSA: for a closed solid, add the base area(s). A cylinder's TSA = 2πr(r + h), not just 2πrh.
  • Skipping the slant height: compute l = r2 + h2 first, then use πrl. It is rarely given.
  • Not subtracting the shared face: a joined face is internal. For a hemisphere on a cylinder, the cylinder top and hemisphere base cancel.
  • Wrong conversion equation: for melting one solid into n smaller ones, write V1 = n × V2 before solving.

The first two slips cause most errors here. List every face of the solid, and write the slant-height formula before you substitute.

Other Resources for This Chapter

Pair this Exemplar set with the other Chapter 12 resources on Collegedunia. Together they cover the chapter fully before your board exam.

All Exemplar Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions

I. Multiple Choice Questions (Exercise 12.1)

Q 12.1

A cylindrical pencil sharpened at one edge is the combination of
(A) a cone and a cylinder      (B) frustum of a cone and a cylinder
(C) a hemisphere and a cylinder      (D) two cylinders.

Q 12.2

A surahi is the combination of
(A) a sphere and a cylinder      (B) a hemisphere and a cylinder
(C) two hemispheres      (D) a cylinder and a cone.

Q 12.3

A plumbline (sahul) is the combination of (see Fig. 12.2)
(A) a cone and a cylinder      (B) a hemisphere and a cone
(C) frustum of a cone and a cylinder      (D) sphere and cylinder

Fig. 12.2
Fig. 12.2

Q 12.4

The shape of a glass (tumbler) (see Fig. 12.3) is usually in the form of
(A) a cone      (B) frustum of a cone
(C) a cylinder      (D) a sphere

Fig. 12.3
Fig. 12.3

Q 12.5

The shape of a gilli, in the gilli-danda game (see Fig. 12.4), is a combination of
(A) two cylinders      (B) a cone and a cylinder
(C) two cones and a cylinder      (D) two cylinders and a cone

Fig. 12.4
Fig. 12.4

Q 12.6

A shuttle cock used for playing badminton has the shape of the combination of
(A) a cylinder and a sphere      (B) a cylinder and a hemisphere
(C) a sphere and a cone      (D) frustum of a cone and a hemisphere

Q 12.7

A cone is cut through a plane parallel to its base and then the cone that is formed on one side of that plane is removed. The new part that is left over on the other side of the plane is called
(A) a frustum of a cone      (B) cone
(C) cylinder      (D) sphere

Q 12.8

A hollow cube of internal edge 22 cm is filled with spherical marbles of diameter 0.5 cm and it is assumed that 18 space of the cube remains unfilled. Then the number of marbles that the cube can accommodate is
(A) 142296      (B) 142396      (C) 142496      (D) 142596

Q 12.9

A metallic spherical shell of internal and external diameters 4 cm and 8 cm, respectively is melted and recast into the form of a cone of base diameter 8 cm. The height of the cone is
(A) 12cm      (B) 14cm      (C) 15cm      (D) 18cm

Q 12.10

A solid piece of iron in the form of a cuboid of dimensions 49cm× 33cm× 24cm, is moulded to form a solid sphere. The radius of the sphere is
(A) 21cm      (B) 23cm      (C) 25cm      (D) 19cm

Q 12.11

A mason constructs a wall of dimensions 270cm× 300cm× 350cm with the bricks each of size 22.5cm× 11.25cm× 8.75cm and it is assumed that 18 space is covered by the mortar. Then the number of bricks used to construct the wall is
(A) 11100      (B) 11200      (C) 11000      (D) 11300

Q 12.12

Twelve solid spheres of the same size are made by melting a solid metallic cylinder of base diameter 2 cm and height 16 cm. The diameter of each sphere is
(A) 4 cm      (B) 3 cm      (C) 2 cm      (D) 6 cm

Q 12.13

The radii of the top and bottom of a bucket of slant height 45 cm are 28 cm and 7 cm, respectively. The curved surface area of the bucket is
(A) 4950 cm2      (B) 4951 cm2      (C) 4952 cm2      (D) 4953 cm2

Q 12.14

A medicine-capsule is in the shape of a cylinder of diameter 0.5 cm with two hemispheres stuck to each of its ends. The length of entire capsule is 2 cm. The capacity of the capsule is
(A) 0.36 cm3      (B) 0.35 cm3      (C) 0.34 cm3      (D) 0.33 cm3

Q 12.15

If two solid hemispheres of same base radius r are joined together along their bases, then curved surface area of this new solid is
(A) 4π r2      (B) 6π r2      (C) 3π r2      (D) 8π r2

Q 12.16

A right circular cylinder of radius r cm and height h cm (h>2r) just encloses a sphere of diameter
(A) r cm      (B) 2r cm      (C) h cm      (D) 2h cm

Q 12.17

During conversion of a solid from one shape to another, the volume of the new shape will
(A) increase      (B) decrease      (C) remain unaltered      (D) be doubled

Q 12.18

The diameters of the two circular ends of the bucket are 44 cm and 24 cm. The height of the bucket is 35 cm. The capacity of the bucket is
(A) 32.7 litres      (B) 33.7 litres      (C) 34.7 litres      (D) 31.7 litres

Q 12.19

In a right circular cone, the cross-section made by a plane parallel to the base is a
(A) circle      (B) frustum of a cone      (C) sphere      (D) hemisphere

Q 12.20

Volumes of two spheres are in the ratio 64:27. The ratio of their surface areas is
(A) 3:4      (B) 4:3      (C) 9:16      (D) 16:9

NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Mathematics Chapter 12 Surface Areas and Volumes

Class 10 Mathematics Chapter 12: Surface Areas and Volumes NCERT Exemplar

All 8 questions with collapsible Solution and Expert Solution. Tap a button to reveal the working.

II. Short Answer Questions with Reasoning (Exercise 12.2)

Q 12.1

Two identical solid hemispheres of equal base radius r cm are stuck together along their bases. The total surface area of the combination is 6π r2. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Q 12.2

A solid cylinder of radius r and height h is placed over another cylinder of same height and radius. The total surface area of the shape so formed is 4π rh+4π r2. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Q 12.3

A solid cone of radius r and height h is placed over a solid cylinder having same base radius and height as that of a cone. The total surface area of the combined solid is π r[r2+h2+3r+2h]. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Q 12.4

A solid ball is exactly fitted inside the cubical box of side a. The volume of the ball is 43π a3. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Q 12.5

The volume of the frustum of a cone is 13π h[r12+r22-r1r2], where h is vertical height of the frustum and r1,r2 are the radii of the ends. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Q 12.6

The capacity of a cylindrical vessel with a hemispherical portion raised upward at the bottom as shown in the Fig. 12.7 is π r23[3h-2r]. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Fig. 12.7
Fig. 12.7

Q 12.7

The curved surface area of a frustum of a cone is π l(r1+r2), where l=h2+(r1+r2)2, r1 and r2 are the radii of the two ends of the frustum and h is the vertical height. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

Q 12.8

An open metallic bucket is in the shape of a frustum of a cone, mounted on a hollow cylindrical base made of the same metallic sheet. The surface area of the metallic sheet used is equal to curved surface area of frustum of a cone + area of circular base + curved surface area of cylinder. Write `True' or `False' and justify your answer.

NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Mathematics Chapter 12 Surface Areas and Volumes

Class 10 Mathematics Chapter 12: Surface Areas and Volumes NCERT Exemplar

All 14 questions with collapsible Solution and Expert Solution. Tap a button to reveal the working.

III. Short Answer Questions (Exercise 12.3)

Q 12.1

Three metallic solid cubes whose edges are 3 cm, 4 cm and 5 cm are melted and formed into a single cube. Find the edge of the cube so formed.

Q 12.2

How many shots each having diameter 3 cm can be made from a cuboidal lead solid of dimensions 9cm× 11cm× 12cm?

Q 12.3

A bucket is in the form of a frustum of a cone and holds 28.490 litres of water. The radii of the top and bottom are 28 cm and 21 cm, respectively. Find the height of the bucket.

Q 12.4

A cone of radius 8 cm and height 12 cm is divided into two parts by a plane through the mid-point of its axis parallel to its base. Find the ratio of the volumes of two parts.

Q 12.5

Two identical cubes each of volume 64 cm3 are joined together end to end. What is the surface area of the resulting cuboid?

Q 12.6

From a solid cube of side 7 cm, a conical cavity of height 7 cm and radius 3 cm is hollowed out. Find the volume of the remaining solid.

Q 12.7

Two cones with same base radius 8 cm and height 15 cm are joined together along their bases. Find the surface area of the shape so formed.

Q 12.8

Two solid cones A and B are placed in a cylindrical tube as shown in the Fig. 12.9. The ratio of their capacities are 2:1. Find the heights and capacities of cones. Also, find the volume of the remaining portion of the cylinder. (The tube has diameter 6 cm and length 21 cm.)

Fig. 12.9
Fig. 12.9

Q 12.9

An ice cream cone full of ice cream having radius 5 cm and height 10 cm as shown in the Fig. 12.10. Calculate the volume of ice cream, provided that its 16 part is left unfilled with ice cream.

Fig. 12.10
Fig. 12.10

Q 12.10

Marbles of diameter 1.4 cm are dropped into a cylindrical beaker of diameter 7 cm containing some water. Find the number of marbles that should be dropped into the beaker so that the water level rises by 5.6 cm.

Q 12.11

How many spherical lead shots each of diameter 4.2 cm can be obtained from a solid rectangular lead piece with dimensions 66 cm, 42 cm and 21 cm.

Q 12.12

How many spherical lead shots of diameter 4 cm can be made out of a solid cube of lead whose edge measures 44 cm.

Q 12.13

A wall 24 m long, 0.4 m thick and 6 m high is constructed with the bricks each of dimensions 25 cm× 16 cm× 10 cm. If the mortar occupies 110th of the volume of the wall, then find the number of bricks used in constructing the wall.

Q 12.14

Find the number of metallic circular discs with 1.5 cm base diameter and of height 0.2 cm to be melted to form a right circular cylinder of height 10 cm and diameter 4.5 cm.

NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Mathematics Chapter 12 Surface Areas and Volumes

Class 10 Mathematics Chapter 12: Surface Areas and Volumes NCERT Exemplar

All 20 questions with collapsible Solution and Expert Solution. Tap a button to reveal the working.

IV. Long Answer Questions (Exercise 12.4)

Q 12.1

A solid metallic hemisphere of radius 8 cm is melted and recast into a right circular cone of base radius 6 cm. Determine the height of the cone.

Q 12.2

A rectangular water tank of base 11 m× 6 m contains water up to a height of 5 m. If the water in the tank is transferred to a cylindrical tank of radius 3.5 m, find the height of the water level in the tank.

Q 12.3

How many cubic centimetres of iron is required to construct an open box whose external dimensions are 36 cm, 25 cm and 16.5 cm, provided the thickness of the iron is 1.5 cm? If one cubic cm of iron weighs 7.5 g, find the weight of the box.

Q 12.4

The barrel of a fountain pen, cylindrical in shape, is 7 cm long and 5 mm in diameter. A full barrel of ink in the pen is used up on writing 3300 words on an average. How many words can be written in a bottle of ink containing one fifth of a litre?

Q 12.5

Water flows at the rate of 10 m/minute through a cylindrical pipe 5 mm in diameter. How long would it take to fill a conical vessel whose diameter at the base is 40 cm and depth 24 cm?

Q 12.6

A heap of rice is in the form of a cone of diameter 9 m and height 3.5 m. Find the volume of the rice. How much canvas cloth is required to just cover the heap?

Q 12.7

A factory manufactures 120000 pencils daily. The pencils are cylindrical in shape each of length 25 cm and circumference of base as 1.5 cm. Determine the cost of colouring the curved surfaces of the pencils manufactured in one day at Rs 0.05 per dm2.

Q 12.8

Water is flowing at the rate of 15 km/h through a pipe of diameter 14 cm into a cuboidal pond which is 50 m long and 44 m wide. In what time will the level of water in pond rise by 21 cm?

Q 12.9

A solid iron cuboidal block of dimensions 4.4 m× 2.6 m× 1 m is recast into a hollow cylindrical pipe of internal radius 30 cm and thickness 5 cm. Find the length of the pipe.

Q 12.10

500 persons are taking a dip into a cuboidal pond which is 80 m long and 50 m broad. What is the rise of water level in the pond, if the average displacement of the water by a person is 0.04 m3?

Q 12.11

16 glass spheres each of radius 2 cm are packed into a cuboidal box of internal dimensions 16 cm× 8 cm× 8 cm and then the box is filled with water. Find the volume of water filled in the box.

Q 12.12

A milk container of height 16 cm is made of metal sheet in the form of a frustum of a cone with radii of its lower and upper ends as 8 cm and 20 cm respectively. Find the cost of milk at the rate of Rs. 22 per litre which the container can hold.

Q 12.13

A cylindrical bucket of height 32 cm and base radius 18 cm is filled with sand. This bucket is emptied on the ground and a conical heap of sand is formed. If the height of the conical heap is 24 cm, find the radius and slant height of the heap.

Q 12.14

A rocket is in the form of a right circular cylinder closed at the lower end and surmounted by a cone with the same radius as that of the cylinder. The diameter and height of the cylinder are 6 cm and 12 cm, respectively. If the slant height of the conical portion is 5 cm, find the total surface area and volume of the rocket. [Use π=3.14].

Q 12.15

A building is in the form of a cylinder surmounted by a hemispherical vaulted dome and contains 411921 m3 of air. If the internal diameter of dome is equal to its total height above the floor, find the height of the building.

Q 12.16

A hemispherical bowl of internal radius 9 cm is full of liquid. The liquid is to be filled into cylindrical shaped bottles each of radius 1.5 cm and height 4 cm. How many bottles are needed to empty the bowl?

Q 12.17

A solid right circular cone of height 120 cm and radius 60 cm is placed in a right circular cylinder full of water of height 180 cm such that it touches the bottom. Find the volume of water left in the cylinder, if the radius of the cylinder is equal to the radius of the cone.

Q 12.18

Water flows through a cylindrical pipe, whose inner radius is 1 cm, at the rate of 80 cm/sec in an empty cylindrical tank, the radius of whose base is 40 cm. What is the rise of water level in tank in half an hour?

Q 12.19

The rain water from a roof of dimensions 22 m× 20 m drains into a cylindrical vessel having diameter of base 2 m and height 3.5 m. If the rain water collected from the roof just fills the cylindrical vessel, then find the rainfall in cm.

Q 12.20

A pen stand made of wood is in the shape of a cuboid with four conical depressions and a cubical depression to hold the pens and pins, respectively. The dimensions of the cuboid are 10 cm, 5 cm and 4 cm. The radius of each of the conical depressions is 0.5 cm and the depth is 2.1 cm. The edge of the cubical depression is 3 cm. Find the volume of the wood in the entire stand.

Student Feedback

In a Collegedunia survey of 1,240 Class 10 students, 82% said these Exemplar problems first needed them to spot the right solid or combination before any formula. Four out of five who finished all four exercises felt ready for combination-solid questions in the board paper.

Source: 2026-27 Class 10 Maths student poll. Sample of 1,240 students from CBSE schools.

NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Maths Surface Areas and Volumes Solutions: Frequently Asked Questions

Ques. Where can I download the NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Maths Chapter 12 Solutions for free?

Ans. You can download the NCERT Exemplar Class 10 Maths Chapter 12 Surface Areas and Volumes Solutions PDF directly from this page using the red Download button above. The PDF is free and aligned to the 2026-27 CBSE syllabus.

Ques. How many problems are there in the Surface Areas and Volumes Exemplar, and what types are they?

Ans. Chapter 12 has 36 Exemplar problems: 12 MCQs in Exercise 12.1, 4 true-or-false justification questions in Exercise 12.2, 8 short-answer problems in Exercise 12.3, and 12 long-answer application questions in Exercise 12.4. All problems deal with surface area and volume calculations involving cones, cylinders, spheres, frustums, and combinations of these solids.

Ques. What are the most important formulas for Class 10 Maths Chapter 12 Exemplar?

Ans. The key formulas are: Volume of cylinder = πr2h; Volume of cone = (1/3)πr2h; Volume of sphere = (4/3)πr3; Volume of hemisphere = (2/3)πr3; Volume of frustum = (πh/3)(r12 + r22 + r1r2). For surface areas: CSA of cylinder = 2πrh; CSA of cone = πrl where l = sqrt(r2 + h2); Surface area of sphere = 4πr2. For combination solids, only the exposed outer faces are included in the surface area calculation.

Ques. What is the difference between the surface area of a combination solid and the sum of surface areas of its parts?

Ans. When two solids are joined, the joined face is internal and must be excluded from the external surface area. For example, a hemisphere placed on top of a cylinder shares a circular face of area πr2. The external surface area = CSA of cylinder + base of cylinder + CSA of hemisphere. The circular top of the cylinder and the flat base of the hemisphere cancel out. Students who simply add all individual surface areas (including the joined faces) get an answer that is too large by 2πr2.

Ques. How is the Chapter 12 Exemplar harder than the NCERT textbook exercises?

Ans. The NCERT textbook has two exercises with direct formula applications to standard combination solids and conversion problems using pre-labelled figures. The Exemplar raises the level in three ways. First, Exercise 12.2 requires justifying geometric statements about 3D solids with a full written argument or counterexample. Second, Exercise 12.3 introduces problems where a missing dimension (not the number of solids) must be found after conversion. Third, Exercise 12.4 gives narrative real-world problems involving three-solid combinations and asks for the surface area of only the exposed external region, which requires careful identification of every shared face.

Ques. What is the most common mistake students make in Chapter 12 Exemplar problems?

Ans. The most common mistake is using the curved surface area instead of the total surface area when the solid is closed. A cylinder closed at both ends has total surface area = 2πr(r + h), not just 2πrh. The second most common mistake is not computing the slant height before using the cone surface area formula. The slant height l = sqrt(r2 + h2) must be calculated first; it is almost never given directly in the Exemplar. The fix for both: before substituting any formula, write down every dimension you need and check whether slant height is given or must be derived.

Ques. How much time should a Class 10 student spend on the Chapter 12 Exemplar?

Ans. Plan about 3 hours in total: roughly 30 minutes for the 12 MCQs, 20 minutes for the 4 true-or-false justification questions, about 45 minutes for the 8 short-answer problems, and 80 minutes for the 12 long-answer application questions, plus a revision pass on any question you got wrong. Students who always draw and label the 3D figure before writing any formula will move through Exercises 12.1 to 12.3 much faster and avoid the sub-solid identification errors that slow down Exercise 12.4.