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Previous Year Questions: Surface Areas & Volumes

Previous Year Questions 2025

Q1: The radii 'r' of a sphere and that of the base of a cone are same. If their volumes are also same, then the height of the cone is:  (1 Mark)
(a) r
(b) 2r
(c) 3r
(d) 4r


Q2: If the volumes of two cubes are in the ratio 8 : 125, then the ratio of their surface areas is:  (1 Mark)
(a) 8 : 125
(b) 4 : 25
(c) 2 : 5
(d) 16 : 25


Q3: If the radii of the bases of a cylinder and a cone are in the ratio 3: 4 and their heights are in the ratio 2 : 3, find the ratio of their volumes.  (3 Marks)


Q4: Assertion (A) : If we join two hemispheres of same radius along their bases, then we get a sphere.   (1 Mark)
Reason (R) : Total surface area of a sphere of radius r is 3πr2.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). 
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A). 
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false. 
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) 

Q5: If a cone of greatest possible volume is hollowed out from a solid wooden cylinder, then the ratio of the volume of remaining wood to the volume of cone hollowed out is   (1 Mark)
(a) 1: 1 
(b) 1: 3
(c) 2: 1 
 (d) 3: 1


Q6: A solid toy is in the form of a hemisphere surmounted by a right circular cone. The height of the cone is 2 cm and the diameter of the base is 4 cm. Determine the volume of the toy. Also, find the a surface area of the toy. (Take π = 3.14)  (5 Marks)


Q7: A vessel is in the form of an inverted cone. Its height is 8 cm and the radius of its top, which is open, is 5 cm. It is filled with water up to the brim. When lead shots, each of which is a sphere of radius 0.5 cm, are dropped into the vessel, one-fourth of the water flows out. Find the number of lead shots dropped in the vessel.  (5 Marks)


Q8: From one face of a solid cube of side 14 cm, the largest possible cone is carved out. Find the volume and surface area of the remaining solid. (use π = 22/7, √5 = 2.2)  (3 Marks)

Q9: (a) A toy is in the form of a cone surmounted on a hemisphere. The cone and hemisphere have the same radii. The height of the conical part of the toy is equal to the diameter of its base. If the radius of the conical part is 5 cm, find the volume of the toy.
OR
(b) A cubical block is surmounted by a hemisphere of radius 3·5 cm. What is the smallest possible length of the edge of the cube so that the hemisphere can totally lie on the cube ? Find the total surface area of the solid so formed.
(5 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2024

Q1: A solid iron pole consists of a solid cylinder of height 200 cm and base diameter 28 cm, which is surmounted by another cylinder of height 50 cm and radius 7 cm. Find the mass of the pole, given that 1 cm3 of iron has approximately 8 g mass.   (5 Marks)


Q2: A medicine capsule is in the shape of a cylinder with two hemispheres stuck to each of its ends. The length of the entire capsule is 14 mm and the diameter of the capsule is 4 mm, find its surface area. Also, find its volume.  (5 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2023

Q1: The curved surface area of a cone having a height of 24 cm and a radius 7 cm, is  (1 Mark)
(a) 528 cm2 
(b) 1056 cm2
(c) 550 cm2
(d) 500 cm


Q6: The curved surface area of a cylinder of height 5 cm is 94.2 cm2. The radius of the cylinder is (Take π = 3.14)  (1 Mark)
(a) 2 cm
(b) 3 cm
(c) 2.9 cm
(d) 6 cm


Q7: A wooden article was made by scooping out a hemisphere from each end of a solid cylinder, as shown in the figure. If the height of the cylinder is 10 cm and its base is of radius 3.5 cm. 

Previous Year Questions 2023Find the total surface area of the article.  (5 Marks)


Q8: A room is in the form of a cylinder surmounted by a hemispherical dome. The base radius of the hemisphere is one-half the height of the cylindrical part. Find the total height of the room if it contains ( 1408/21 ) m3 of air. (Take π = 22/7 ) (3 Marks)


Q9: An empty cone is of radius 3 cm and height 12 cm. Ice cream is filled in it so that the lower part of the cone which is (1/6)th of the volume of the cone is unfilled but the hemisphere is formed on the top. Previous Year Questions 2023Find the volume of the ice cream. Take (π = 3.14)  (3 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2022


Q10: The radius of the base and the height of a solid right circular cylinder are in the ratio 2:3 and its volume is 1617 cm3. Find the total surface area of the cylinder. Take [π = 22/7]  (3 Marks)


Q11: Case Study : John planned a birthday party for his younger sister with his friends. They decided to make some birthday caps by themselves and to buy a cake from a bakery shop. For these two items they decided on the following dimensions:
Cap : Conical shape with base circumference 44 cm and height 24 cm.
Cake : Cylindrical shape with diameter 24 cm and height 14 cm.
Previous Year Questions 2022

Based on the above information answer the following questions.
(a) How many square cm paper would be used to make 4 such caps?
(b) The bakery shop sells cakes by weight (0.5 kg, 1 kg, 1.5 kg. etc..}. To have the required dimensions how much cake should they order if 650 cm3 equals 100 g of cake?  (5 Marks)


Q12: Three cubes of side 6 cm each, are joined as shown in given figure. Find the total surface area of the resulting cuboid.  (2 Marks)Previous Year Questions 2022


Q13: Case Study : A 'circus' is a company of performers who put on shows of acrobats, downs etc to entertain people started around 250 years back, in open fields, now generally performed in tents. One such 'Circus Tent is shown below.Previous Year Questions 2022The tent is in the shape of a cylinder surmounted by a conical top. If the height and diameter of cylindrical part are 9 m and 30 m respectively and height of conical part is 8 m with same diameter as that of the cylindrical part, then
find  
(i) the area of the canvas used in making the tent.
(ii) the cost of the canvas bought for the tent at the rate Rs. 200 per sq. m. if 30 sq. m canvas was wasted during stitching.   (3 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2021

Q14: Water is being pumped out through a circular pipe whose internal diameter is 8 cm. If the rate of flow of water is 80 cm/s. then how many litres of water is being pumped out through this pipe in one hour?  (2 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2020


Q15: A solid spherical ball fits exactly inside the cubical box of side 2a. The volume of the ball is  (1 Mark)
(a) 163 πr3
(b) 
16 πr3
(c) 
323 πr3
(d) 
4/3 πr3


Q16: The radius of a sphere (in cm) whose volume is 12 πcm3, is  (1 Mark)
(a) 3
(b) 3√3
(c) 32/3
(d) 3
1/3


Q17: Two cones have their heights in the ratio 1: 3 and radii in the ratio 3 : 1 . What is the ratio of their volumes?  (2 Marks)


Q18: How many cubes of side 2 cm can be made from a solid cube of side 10 cm?  (2 Marks)


Q19: A cone and a cylinder have the same radii but the height of the cone is 3 times that of the cylinder. Find the ratio of their volumes.  (2 Marks)


Q20: A well of diameter 3 m is dug 14 m deep. The earth taken out of it has been spread evenly all around it in the shape of a circular ring of width 4 m to form a platform. Find the height of the platform. (Take π = 22/7)   (5 Marks)


Q21: In Figure, a solid toy is in the form of a hemisphere surmounted by a right circular cone. The height of the cone is 2 cm and the diameter of the base is 4 cm. Determine the volume of the toy. [Take π = 3.14]  (2 Marks)
Previous Year Questions 2020


Q22: A solid toy is in the form of a hemisphere surmounted by a right circular cone of same radius. The height of the cone is 10 cm and the radius of the base is 7 cm. Determine the volume of the toy. Also find the area of the coloured sheet required to cover the toy. (Use π = 22/7 and √149 = 12.2)  (3 Marks)


Q23: From a solid right circular cylinder of height 14 cm and base radius 6 cm, a right circular cone of same height and same base radius is removed. Find the volume of the remaining solid.  (2 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2019

Q24: A solid is in the form of a cylinder with hemispherical ends. The total height of the solid is 20 cm and the diameter of the cylinder is 7 cm. Find the total volume of the solid. (Use π = 22/7).  (2 Marks)


Q25: A juice seller was serving his customers using glasses as shown in the given figure. The inner diameter of the cylindrical glass was 5 cm but bottom of the glass had a hemispherical raised portion which reduced the capacity of the glass. lf the height of the glass was 10 cm, find the apparent and actual capacity of the glass {Use π = 3.14)  (3 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2019

Q26: A bucket open at the top is in the form of a frustum of a cone with a capacity of 12308.8 cm3. The radii of the top and bottom of circular ends of the bucket are 20 cm and 12 cm respectively. Find the height of the bucket and also the area of the metal sheet used in making it. (Use π = 3.14)  (3 Marks)

Q27:  An open metal bucket is in the shape of a frustum of a cone, mounted on a hollow cylindrical base made of the same metallic sheet (Fig). The diameters of the two circular ends of the bucket are 45 cm and 25 cm, the total vertical height of the bucket is 40 cm and that of the cylindrical base is 6 cm. Find the area of the metallic sheet used to make the bucket, where we do not take into account the handle of the bucket. Also, find the volume of water the bucket can hold.  Previous Year Questions 2019  (3 Marks)Previous Year Questions 2019


Q28: A cylindrical bucket, 32 cm high and with a radius of base 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.
OR
A girl empties a cylindrical bucket, full of sand, of base radius 18 cm and height 32 cm, on the floor to form a conical heap of sand. If the height of this conical heap is 24 cm, then find its slant height correct up to one place of decimal.   (3 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2018

Q29: The diameters of the lower and upper ends of a bucket in the form of a frustum of a cone are 10 cm and 30 cm respectively. If its height is 24 cm, find the area of the metal sheet used to make the bucket. [Use π = 3.14]  (3 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2017

Q30: A metallic right circular cone 20 cm high whose vertical angle is 60° which is cut into two parts at the middle of its height by a plane parallel to its base. If the frustum so obtained be drawn into a wire of diameter 1/16 cm, find the length of the wire.  (3 Marks)


Q31: A solid metallic cylinder of diameter 12 cm and height 15 cm is melted and recast into toys each in the shape of a cone of radius 3 cm and height 9 cm. Find the number of toys so formed.  (3 Marks)


Q32: The 3/4th part of a conical vessel of internal radius 5 cm and height 24 cm is full of water. The water is emptied into a cylindrical vessel with an internal radius of 10 cm. Find the height of water in a cylindrical vessel.  (3 Marks)


Q33: In a rain-water harvesting system, the rainwater from a roof of 22 m x 20 m drains into a cylindrical tank having a diameter of base 2 m and height of 3.5 m. If the tank is full, find the rainfall in cm.   (3 Marks)


Q34: From a solid cylinder whose height is 2.4 cm and diameter 1.4 cm, a conical cavity of the same height and same diameter is hollowed out. Find the total surface area of the remaining solid to the nearest cm2.  (3 Marks)


Q35: A circus tent is in the shape of a cylinder surmounted by a conical top of the same diameter. If their common diameter is 56 m, the height of the cylindrical part is 6 m and the total height of the tent above the ground is 27 m, find the area of canvas used in making the tent.  (3 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2016

Q36: A sphere of diameter 12 cm, is dropped in a right circular cylindrical vessel, partly filled with water. If the sphere is completely submerged in water, the water level in the cylindrical vessel rises by Previous Year Questions 2016 Find the diameter of the cylindrical vessel.  (2 Marks)

Previous Year Questions 2015

Q37: Two spheres of the same metal weigh 1 kg and 7 kg. The radius of the smaller sphere is 3 cm. The two spheres are melted to form a single big sphere. Find the diameter of the new sphere.  (3 Marks)

Q38: A hemispherical bowl of internal diameter 36 cm contains liquid. This liquid is filled into 72 cylindrical bottles of diameter 6 cm. Find the height of each bottle, if 10% liquid is wasted in this transfer.  (2 Marks)

Q39: A cone with radius 10 cm is divided into two parts by drawing a plane through the mid-point of its axis, parallel to its base. Compare the volumes of the two parts.  (3 Marks)Previous Year Questions 2015

The document Previous Year Questions: Surface Areas & Volumes is a part of the Class 10 Course Mathematics (Maths) Class 10.
All you need of Class 10 at this link: Class 10

FAQs on Previous Year Questions: Surface Areas & Volumes

1. What are the main formulas for surface area and volume that come up in CBSE Class 10 board exams?
Ans. Surface area and volume formulas for cubes, cuboids, cylinders, cones, and spheres are most frequently tested in CBSE Class 10 board exams. Cube surface area is 6a², volume is a³. Cuboid surface area is 2(lw + lh + wh), volume is l×w×h. Cylinder surface area is 2πr(r+h), volume is πr²h. Cone lateral surface area is πrl, total is πr(r+l), volume is ⅓πr²h. Sphere surface area is 4πr², volume is ⁴⁄₃πr³. Students should memorise these for quick problem-solving during exams.
2. How do I know when to use curved surface area versus total surface area in previous year questions?
Ans. Curved surface area excludes the bases (tops and bottoms), while total surface area includes all surfaces. For cylinders and cones, curved surface area is used when only the lateral surface is painted or covered. Total surface area applies when the entire solid needs to be painted, including bases. Previous year CBSE questions often specify which measurement is needed; read carefully before calculating to avoid losing marks on surface area problems.
3. Why do previous year Class 10 maths questions combine surface area and volume in a single problem?
Ans. Examiners combine these concepts to test whether students understand how surface area and volume relate differently to object dimensions. Increasing radius affects volume more dramatically than surface area. Previous year questions reward students who recognise this distinction-a typical problem asks for surface area reduction when volume remains constant, testing conceptual clarity rather than mere formula application and calculation skills.
4. What's the most common mistake students make with hemisphere and composite solid problems in CBSE previous year questions?
Ans. Students frequently forget that hemispheres have one flat circular base included in total surface area calculations. For composite solids (cylinder with cone on top, for example), learners miscalculate by adding complete surface areas instead of removing overlapping circular faces. Previous year questions test this error deliberately. Always sketch the solid, identify which surfaces are actually exposed, and subtract internal faces before calculating total surface area for composite structures.
5. How should I approach solving a previous year question involving a combination of shapes like a cylinder with a hemisphere on top?
Ans. Break composite solids into individual shapes and calculate each surface area separately, then combine selectively. For a cylinder with hemisphere, use curved surface area of cylinder plus curved surface area of hemisphere plus the base of cylinder-excluding the top circular face since the hemisphere covers it. Volume combines both component volumes directly: πr²h (cylinder) plus ⅔πr³ (hemisphere). Refer to mind maps and visual worksheets on EduRev to practise these step-by-step combinations efficiently.
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