We can use a net to calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism. Let's see the net!
Every polygon in the net is a rectangle. Notice that all of the parallel faces have the same measurements. Let's calculate the area of each rectangle separately.
Face
Length l
Width w
Area=l * w
Bottom
3
7
3* 7=21ft^2
Top
3
7
3* 7=21ft^2
Side
2
7
2* 7=14ft^2
Side
2
7
2* 7=14ft^2
Front
3
2
3* 2=6ft^2
Back
3
2
3* 2=6ft^2
We now have all the information that we need to find the total surface area of the rectangular prism. Let's add the areas of the faces to get the whole area!
Total Surface Area
21+ 21+ 14+ 14+ 6+ 6=82ft^2
The total surface area of the prism is 82 square feet.
