To find 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 the dimensions (length = 12 inches, width = 5 inches, height = 3 inches), we will substitute these values into the formula.
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Calculate the areas of each pair of sides:
- \( lw = 12 \times 5 = 60 \)
- \( lh = 12 \times 3 = 36 \)
- \( wh = 5 \times 3 = 15 \)
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Sum those areas: \[ lw + lh + wh = 60 + 36 + 15 = 111 \]
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Now, multiply by 2 to find the surface area: \[ \text{Surface Area} = 2 \times 111 = 222 \text{ square inches} \]
Therefore, the surface area of the rectangular prism is 222 square inches.