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? Hint: Draw a net.

1 answer

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

1. Top and bottom sides: The area of the top and bottom sides is the same and can be calculated by multiplying the length and width of the box. So, 12.5 inches x 3.0 inches = 37.5 square inches for each side. Since there are two of these sides, the total area is 2 x 37.5 = 75 square inches.

2. Front and back sides: The area of the front and back sides is the same and can be calculated by multiplying the height and width of the box. So, 9.5 inches x 3.0 inches = 28.5 square inches for each side. Since there are two of these sides, the total area is 2 x 28.5 = 57 square inches.

3. Left and right sides: The area of the left and right sides is the same and can be calculated by multiplying the length and height of the box. So, 12.5 inches x 9.5 inches = 118.75 square inches for each side. Since there are two of these sides, the total area is 2 x 118.75 = 237.5 square inches.

Adding up all the areas we calculated, the total surface area of the box is 75 + 57 + 237.5 = 369.5 square inches.