To find the surface area of a box (rectangular prism), you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh \]
where \( l \) is the length, \( w \) is the width, and \( h \) is the height.
Given:
- Length (\( l \)) = 3 m
- Width (\( w \)) = 4 m
- Height (\( h \)) = 2 m
Now substituting the values into the formula:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2(3)(4) + 2(3)(2) + 2(4)(2) \]
Calculating each term:
- \( 2(3)(4) = 24 \)
- \( 2(3)(2) = 12 \)
- \( 2(4)(2) = 16 \)
Now, add these values together:
\[ \text{Surface Area} = 24 + 12 + 16 = 52 , \text{square meters} \]
So, the surface area of the box is \( \boxed{52} \) square meters.