A rectangular prism has a length of 5 cm, a width of 3 cm, and a height of 2 cm. What is its total surface area?

Answer 1

To find the total surface area of a rectangular prism, we can use the formula:

\[ \text{Total Surface Area} = 2(lw + lh + wh) \]

where \( l \) is the length, \( w \) is the width, and \( h \) is the height.

Given:

• Length (\( l \)) = 5 cm
• Width (\( w \)) = 3 cm
• Height (\( h \)) = 2 cm

Now, we can calculate each of the products:

1. \( lw = 5 \times 3 = 15 \)
2. \( lh = 5 \times 2 = 10 \)
3. \( wh = 3 \times 2 = 6 \)

Now, we can sum these areas:

\[ lw + lh + wh = 15 + 10 + 6 = 31 \]

Next, we multiply by 2 to find the total surface area:

\[ \text{Total Surface Area} = 2 \times 31 = 62 \text{ cm}^2 \]

Thus, the total surface area of the rectangular prism is \( \boxed{62} \) cm².