To find the surface area of a rectangular box (also known as 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) = 12.5 inches
- Width (w) = 3.0 inches
- Height (h) = 9.5 inches
Now, let's calculate each term:
- \( lw = 12.5 \times 3.0 = 37.5 , \text{square inches} \)
- \( lh = 12.5 \times 9.5 = 118.75 , \text{square inches} \)
- \( wh = 3.0 \times 9.5 = 28.5 , \text{square inches} \)
Now we can add these values together:
\[ lw + lh + wh = 37.5 + 118.75 + 28.5 = 184.75 , \text{square inches} \]
Finally, multiply by 2 to find the surface area:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2 \times 184.75 = 369.5 , \text{square inches} \]
Therefore, the surface area of the box is 369.5 square inches. The correct response is:
369.5 square inches.