Use the formula for the surface area of a right rectangular prism to find the surface area of a shape with the following measurements: length= 4.5 cm, width= 3.5 com, and height= 2.5 cm

1 answer

To find the surface area of a right rectangular prism, you can use the formula:

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

where:

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

Given the measurements:

  • Length \( l = 4.5 , \text{cm} \)
  • Width \( w = 3.5 , \text{cm} \)
  • Height \( h = 2.5 , \text{cm} \)

We can substitute these values into the formula:

  1. Calculate \( 2lw \): \[ 2lw = 2 \times 4.5 \times 3.5 = 2 \times 15.75 = 31.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]

  2. Calculate \( 2lh \): \[ 2lh = 2 \times 4.5 \times 2.5 = 2 \times 11.25 = 22.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]

  3. Calculate \( 2wh \): \[ 2wh = 2 \times 3.5 \times 2.5 = 2 \times 8.75 = 17.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]

Now, add these areas together to find the total surface area:

\[ \text{Surface Area} = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh = 31.5 + 22.5 + 17.5 = 71.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]

Thus, the surface area of the rectangular prism is:

\[ \boxed{71.5 , \text{cm}^2} \]