What are the steps to finding the total surface area of a rectangular prism with a base of 2.8 in a length of 7.1 in and a high of 3.2 in

2 answers

Step 1: Calculate the area of the base. The area of the base is 2.8 x 7.1 = 19.88 in².

Step 2: Calculate the area of the two rectangular faces. The area of each rectangular face is 7.1 x 3.2 = 22.72 in².

Step 3: Calculate the area of the two triangular faces. The area of each triangular face is (2.8 x 3.2) / 2 = 4.48 in².

Step 4: Add the areas of the base, the two rectangular faces, and the two triangular faces to get the total surface area. The total surface area is 19.88 + (2 x 22.72) + (2 x 4.48) = 73.76 in².
WRONG!!! , where do the triangles come from ?

SA = 2( (2.8)(7.1) + 2.8)(3.2) + (7.1)(3.2) ) in^2
= 103.12