Leonard is going to construct a pyramid with cardboard for math class. Find how many square inches (in.2)

To find the surface area of the pyramid using the formula you provided, we need to substitute in the values for the base \( b \) and the height \( h \).

Given:
- Base width \( b = 3 \) inches
- Height \( h = 8 \) inches

The formula given is:

\[
4(1/2)bh + b^2
\]

Let's break it down:

1. Calculate \( 4(1/2)bh \):
\[
4(1/2)bh = 4 \times \frac{1}{2} \times 3 \times 8 = 2 \times 3 \times 8 = 48 \, \text{in}^2
\]

2. Calculate \( b^2 \):
\[
b^2 = 3^2 = 9 \, \text{in}^2
\]

3. Now, add both parts together:
\[
\text{Total Surface Area} = 48 + 9 = 57 \, \text{in}^2
\]

Thus, Leonard will need **57 square inches** of cardboard to construct the pyramid.