Alexis ordered an ice cream cake from Molly Moo Creamery. The box that it was packed in was a rectangular prism. The dimensions of the box are shown in the diagram.

What is the total surface area of the box of in square inches?

1 answer

To calculate the total surface area of a rectangular prism, we use the formula:

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

where \( l \), \( w \), and \( h \) are the length, width, and height of the rectangular prism, respectively.

Since you didn't provide the specific dimensions from the diagram, I'll demonstrate the calculation process using example dimensions. Let's say the dimensions are:

  • Length \( l = 10 \) inches
  • Width \( w = 5 \) inches
  • Height \( h = 3 \) inches

Now substitute these values into the surface area formula:

  1. Calculate \( lw \):

\[ lw = 10 \times 5 = 50 \]

  1. Calculate \( lh \):

\[ lh = 10 \times 3 = 30 \]

  1. Calculate \( wh \):

\[ wh = 5 \times 3 = 15 \]

  1. Add these areas together:

\[ lw + lh + wh = 50 + 30 + 15 = 95 \]

  1. Finally, multiply by 2 to find the total surface area:

\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2 \times 95 = 190 \text{ square inches} \]

If you have the specific dimensions of the box, please provide them, and I can calculate the total surface area for those dimensions.