To find the lateral surface area of a square base prism (also known as a square prism or square cylinder), you can use the formula for lateral surface area:
\[ \text{Lateral Surface Area} = \text{Perimeter of Base} \times \text{Height} \]
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Determine the perimeter of the base: Since the base is a square with a length of 6 feet, the perimeter \(P\) can be calculated as: \[ P = 4 \times \text{side length} = 4 \times 6 = 24 \text{ feet} \]
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Use the height: The height \(h\) of the prism is given as 12 feet.
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Calculate the lateral surface area: Substitute the perimeter and height into the formula: \[ \text{Lateral Surface Area} = P \times h = 24 \text{ ft} \times 12 \text{ ft} = 288 \text{ square feet} \]
So, the lateral surface area of the square base prism is \( \boxed{288} \) square feet.