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,
- \( h \) is the height.
Given:
- Length \( l = 16 \) inches,
- Width \( w = 8 \) inches,
- Height \( h = 4 \) inches.
Now, let's calculate each term:
- \( lw = 16 \times 8 = 128 \)
- \( lh = 16 \times 4 = 64 \)
- \( wh = 8 \times 4 = 32 \)
Now, add those areas together:
\[ lw + lh + wh = 128 + 64 + 32 = 224 \]
Now multiply by 2 to find the surface area:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2 \times 224 = 448 \text{ square inches} \]
Thus, the surface area of the rectangular prism is 448 square inches.