The formula for the surface area \( S \) of a right rectangular prism is given by:
\[ S = 2lw + 2lh + 2wh \]
where \( l \) is the length, \( w \) is the width, and \( h \) is the height.
Given:
- \( l = 4.5 \) cm
- \( w = 3.5 \) cm
- \( h = 2.5 \) cm
Now substituting the values into the formula:
-
Calculate \( 2lw \): \[ 2lw = 2 \times 4.5 \times 3.5 = 2 \times 15.75 = 31.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]
-
Calculate \( 2lh \): \[ 2lh = 2 \times 4.5 \times 2.5 = 2 \times 11.25 = 22.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]
-
Calculate \( 2wh \): \[ 2wh = 2 \times 3.5 \times 2.5 = 2 \times 8.75 = 17.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]
Now add these results together to find the total surface area:
\[ S = 31.5 , \text{cm}^2 + 22.5 , \text{cm}^2 + 17.5 , \text{cm}^2 = 71.5 , \text{cm}^2 \]
Thus, the surface area of the right rectangular prism is 71.5 cm².