A shipping box has a length of 12.5 inches, a height of 9.5 inches, and a width of 3.0 inches. What is the surface area of the box?

Answer 1

To find the surface area of the box, we need to calculate the area of each of the six sides and then add them together.

1. Front and back sides:
- Area = length x height
- Front side: 12.5 inches x 9.5 inches = 118.75 square inches
- Back side: 12.5 inches x 9.5 inches = 118.75 square inches

2. Top and bottom sides:
- Area = length x width
- Top side: 12.5 inches x 3.0 inches = 37.5 square inches
- Bottom side: 12.5 inches x 3.0 inches = 37.5 square inches

3. Side sides (left and right):
- Area = height x width
- Left side: 9.5 inches x 3.0 inches = 28.5 square inches
- Right side: 9.5 inches x 3.0 inches = 28.5 square inches

Total surface area = Front + Back + Top + Bottom + Left + Right
= 118.75 + 118.75 + 37.5 + 37.5 + 28.5 + 28.5
= 369.5 square inches

Therefore, the surface area of the box is 369.5 square inches.