Rectangular Prism Surface Area Calculator







Formula

The formula to calculate the total surface area of a rectangular prism is:

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

Where:

What is the Total Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism?

The total surface area of a rectangular prism is the sum of the areas of all six of its faces. It is calculated by adding the areas of the three pairs of congruent faces. The formula to calculate it is \(2lw + 2lh + 2wh\), where \(l\) is the length, \(w\) is the width, and \(h\) is the height of the prism. This gives the total area that the surface of the prism covers.

Example Problem

Let's assume the following:

Step 1: Calculate the surface area:

\[ \text{SA} = 2(5 \times 3) + 2(5 \times 4) + 2(3 \times 4) = 2(15) + 2(20) + 2(12) = 30 + 40 + 24 = 94 \text{ square units} \]

Therefore, the total surface area of the rectangular prism is 94 square units.