To find the surface area of a right rectangular prism, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2(lw + lh + wh) \]
where \( l \) is the length, \( w \) is the width, and \( h \) is the height. Given the measurements:
- Length \( l = 4.5 \) cm
- Width \( w = 3.5 \) cm
- Height \( h = 2.5 \) cm
First, calculate the products:
- \( lw = 4.5 , \text{cm} \times 3.5 , \text{cm} = 15.75 , \text{cm}^2 \)
- \( lh = 4.5 , \text{cm} \times 2.5 , \text{cm} = 11.25 , \text{cm}^2 \)
- \( wh = 3.5 , \text{cm} \times 2.5 , \text{cm} = 8.75 , \text{cm}^2 \)
Now add these three products:
\[ lw + lh + wh = 15.75 + 11.25 + 8.75 = 35.75 , \text{cm}^2 \]
Now multiply by 2 to find the surface area:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2 \times 35.75 , \text{cm}^2 = 71.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]
Therefore, the surface area of the prism is:
71.5 cm².