Elise wants to build a wooden box to store her art supplies. She has decided that the length of the box will be 12 in, the width will be 10 in and the height will be 8 in.

Question

What is the minimum amount of wood Elise will need to build her box?

A. 960 in²
B. 592 in²
C. 296 in²
D. 460 in²

Answer 1

To calculate the minimum amount of wood needed, we need to find the total surface area of the box.

The surface area of the box can be calculated by finding the area of each of the 6 sides and adding them together.

1. Area of one side (length x width) = 12 in x 10 in = 120 in²
2. Area of another side (length x width) = 12 in x 10 in = 120 in²
3. Area of the top side (length x width) = 12 in x 8 in = 96 in²
4. Area of the bottom side (length x width) = 12 in x 8 in = 96 in²
5. Area of one of the remaining sides (width x height) = 10 in x 8 in = 80 in²
6. Area of the last remaining side (width x height) = 10 in x 8 in = 80 in²

Total surface area = 120 in² + 120 in² + 96 in² + 96 in² + 80 in² + 80 in²
Total surface area = 592 in²

Therefore, Elise will need a minimum of 592 in² of wood to build her box.

Answer: B. 592 in²