FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

What geometric figure has two parallel, congruent circular bases?

1. Sphere

2. Cylinder

3. Cone

4. Pyramid

The correct answer is: Cylinder

A cylinder is defined as a three-dimensional geometric figure with two parallel, congruent circular bases. The bases are aligned directly above one another, and the side of the cylinder, which connects the two bases, is curved. This structure allows for a uniform distance from the center of one base to the center of the other, maintaining the two bases' congruence and parallelism throughout the height of the cylinder. In contrast, a sphere is a perfectly symmetrical three-dimensional shape where every point on the surface is equidistant from the center, but it does not have bases at all. A cone features a circular base but only has one base that tapers up to a singular vertex, while a pyramid has a polygonal base and triangular faces meeting at a vertex, but it does not contain two congruent circular bases. Therefore, the unique characteristic of having two parallel, congruent circular bases distinctly identifies the cylinder as the correct answer.