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

1 answer

To calculate the surface area of a 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:

  • Length (\( l \)) = 8 feet
  • Width (\( w \)) = 6.5 feet
  • Height (\( h \)) = 3 feet

Now, let’s calculate each part of the formula:

  1. \( lw = 8 \times 6.5 = 52 \)
  2. \( lh = 8 \times 3 = 24 \)
  3. \( wh = 6.5 \times 3 = 19.5 \)

Now sum these areas:

\[ lw + lh + wh = 52 + 24 + 19.5 = 95.5 \]

Now, multiply the sum by 2 to find the total surface area:

\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2 \times 95.5 = 191 \text{ ft}^2 \]

Thus, the surface area of the rectangular prism is \( 191 \text{ ft}^2 \).

The correct answer is C. 191 ft².