To calculate the surface area of a triangular prism, you can decompose it into its constituent shapes: the two triangular bases and the three rectangular lateral faces.
The correct method for calculating the surface area of a triangular prism is:
Decompose the triangular prism into two triangles and three rectangles. Find the sum of the area of both triangles and the area of all three rectangles.
Based on the provided options, the one that follows this logic the closest is:
Decompose the triangular prism into two triangles and three rectangles. Find the sum of the area of all five shapes.
This option correctly states that you would calculate the areas of both triangular bases (2 triangles) and the three rectangular faces, which totals to 5 shapes.
Thus, the correct response is: Decompose the triangular prism into two triangles and three rectangles. Find the sum of the area of all five shapes.