To find the surface area \( S \) of a right rectangular prism, you can use the formula:
\[ S = 2(lw + lh + wh) \]
where:
- \( l \) is the length,
- \( w \) is the width,
- \( h \) is the height.
Given:
- Length \( l = 4.5 \) cm,
- Width \( w = 3.5 \) cm,
- Height \( h = 2.5 \) cm.
Now, substitute the values into the formula:
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Calculate \( lw \): \[ lw = 4.5 \times 3.5 = 15.75 \text{ cm}^2 \]
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Calculate \( lh \): \[ lh = 4.5 \times 2.5 = 11.25 \text{ cm}^2 \]
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Calculate \( wh \): \[ wh = 3.5 \times 2.5 = 8.75 \text{ cm}^2 \]
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Now sum these values: \[ lw + lh + wh = 15.75 + 11.25 + 8.75 = 35.75 \text{ cm}^2 \]
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Finally, multiply by 2 to get the surface area: \[ S = 2(35.75) = 71.5 \text{ cm}^2 \]
Thus, the surface area of the right rectangular prism is 71.5 cm².