To find the surface area of the side of the cone, you can use the formula for the lateral surface area of a cone:
\[ \text{Lateral Surface Area} = \pi r l \]
where:
- \( r \) is the radius of the base of the cone
- \( l \) is the slant height of the cone
Given:
- \( r = 3 \) inches
- \( l = 8 \) inches
- \( \pi \approx 3.14 \)
Now, substitute the values into the formula:
\[ \text{Lateral Surface Area} = 3.14 \times 3 \times 8 \]
Calculating this step by step:
- Calculate \( 3 \times 8 = 24 \)
- Now, multiply by \( 3.14 \):
\[ 3.14 \times 24 = 75.36 \]
Therefore, the surface area of the side of the cone is approximately:
\[ \boxed{75.36} \text{ square inches.} \]