Question

a rectangular prism is sliced perpendicular to its base. what is the shape of the cross section? the cross section is a dropdown with options: square, rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the rectangular prism

A rectangular prism has rectangular faces. When sliced perpendicular to the base, the cross - section will have sides that are parallel and perpendicular to each other.

Step2: Evaluate the shape of the cross - section

• A square has all sides equal. But in a general rectangular prism (not necessarily a cube), the cross - section when sliced perpendicular to the base will have opposite sides equal and all angles 90 degrees, but the length and width of the cross - section (which are related to the height and the side of the base of the prism) may not be equal.
• A rectangle has opposite sides equal and all angles equal to 90 degrees. When we slice a rectangular prism perpendicular to its base, the cross - section will have four right angles and opposite sides equal (since the sides of the prism are rectangles and the slice is perpendicular to the base).
• A parallelogram has opposite sides parallel, but a rectangle is a special case of a parallelogram. However, the most specific and accurate description here is a rectangle because of the right angles.
• A trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides, which is not the case here as the cross - section of a rectangular prism sliced perpendicular to the base has two pairs of parallel sides and right angles.

Answer:

rectangle