To find the total surface area of a rectangular box (or crate), 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 of the box.
Given:
- Length (\(l\)) = 4 feet
- Width (\(w\)) = 2 feet
- Height (\(h\)) = 3.5 feet
Now plug in the values:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2(4 \times 2 + 4 \times 3.5 + 2 \times 3.5) \] \[ = 2(8 + 14 + 7) \] \[ = 2(29) \] \[ = 58 \text{ square feet} \]
Therefore, the total surface area of the dog crate is 58 square feet.