Question

Calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism with base sides of 6.5 feet and 8 feet, and a height of 3 feet.
A.
156

ft
2

B.
174

ft
2

C.
191

ft
2

D.
312

ft
2

Answer 1

To calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism, you can use the formula:

\[
\text{Surface Area} = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh
\]

where:
- \( l \) is the length,
- \( w \) is the width, and
- \( h \) is the height.

In this case:
- \( l = 8 \) feet (length),
- \( w = 6.5 \) feet (width),
- \( h = 3 \) feet (height).

Let's plug in the values into the formula:

1. Calculate \( 2lw \):
\[
2lw = 2 \times 8 \times 6.5 = 2 \times 52 = 104 \quad \text{ft}^2
\]

2. Calculate \( 2lh \):
\[
2lh = 2 \times 8 \times 3 = 2 \times 24 = 48 \quad \text{ft}^2
\]

3. Calculate \( 2wh \):
\[
2wh = 2 \times 6.5 \times 3 = 2 \times 19.5 = 39 \quad \text{ft}^2
\]

Now, add those results together to find the total surface area:
\[
\text{Surface Area} = 104 + 48 + 39 = 191 \quad \text{ft}^2
\]

So, the surface area of the rectangular prism is \( 191 \) ft².

The answer is **C. 191 ft²**.