To find the surface area of a rectangular prism, we can use the formula:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh \]
Where:
- \( l \) is the length
- \( w \) is the width
- \( h \) is the height
For the given rectangular prism:
- Length (\( l \)) = 12 inches
- Width (\( w \)) = 5 inches
- Height (\( h \)) = 3 inches
Now plug in the values into the formula:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2(12)(5) + 2(12)(3) + 2(5)(3) \]
Calculating each term step by step:
- \( 2(12)(5) = 120 \)
- \( 2(12)(3) = 72 \)
- \( 2(5)(3) = 30 \)
Now, add them together:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 120 + 72 + 30 = 222 \text{ square inches} \]
Thus, the surface area of the rectangular prism is 222 square inches.