What is the surface area of a rectangular prism?
A rectangular prism is a 3D plane figure having 6 sides making an angle of 90 degrees with each other. The simplest figure similar to a rectangular prism is a shoebox or a brick. As it is a plane surface, it also covers a specific region when placed on something like a table.
The region that is surrounded by all sides of a rectangular prism is called the surface area of a rectangular prism. In this measurement, all three lengths i.e. width, length, and height, are involved. As the opposite faces of a rectangular prism are of the same measures, that’s why these sides are involved in the surface area calculation for once.
If you don’t know about this measurement and want to learn from scratch, you should read this blog. On this page, we will share a comprehensive guide on how to calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism.
How to find the area of a rectangular prism?
Finding the surface area of a rectangular prism is not complicated when you know the measurements for its three sides. If you know the measurements for length, width, and height, you can follow this formula to calculate this measurement.
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism = 2 [(length x width) + (width x height) + (length x height)]
To understand this calculation process with ease, here are some steps that you can follow.
- Write all measurements given for a rectangular prism
- Check if all of those are in the same units or not
- If not, convert all measurements into a single unit
- Now, multiply the length by width, width by height, and length by height
- Put the answers in the above formula
- Add all values that you got from multiplication
- Multiply the resultant by “2” for the final answer
By following these steps, you can find the surface area of a rectangular prism. If you want to get a demonstration of these steps and check the solution to a problem for understanding, you can use our Rectangular Prism Calculator.
This online maths calculator will allow you to learn the step-by-step solution for the calculation of surface area. It will help you better understand the calculation and allow you to solve problems related to it quickly as well. Keep in mind that the units of surface area will be the square of the units in which measurements are given.
How to calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism?
To make the method for calculation more clear, we have solved an example here. Just have a look at the steps we have taken for the calculation of the surface area of a rectangular prism.
example 1:
Find the area of a rectangular prism having dimensions, length = 3m, width = 5m, and height = 9m.
Solution:
As all measurements have the same units, so, we have to multiply them one by one.
Length x Width = 15m
Width x Height = 45m
Length x Height = 27m
Now, we have to put these values in the following formula.
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism = 2 [(l x w) + (w x h) + (l x h)]
= 2 [15 + 45 + 27] sq. meter
Surface Area = 154 m2
Conclusion
We hope that you have learned the way to find the surface area of a rectangular prism by reading the above steps and looking at the example. If you are still confused or have higher measurements, you can use our online Rectangular Prism Calculator.
It will absolutely help you in having a better idea of the solution to your questions. Also, you can complete your assignments with minimal manual effort using this online tool.
FAQ
What is the surface area of a rectangular prism?
The region that the plane sides of a rectangular prism cover is called the surface area of this figure.
What is the surface area formula prism?
To calculate the surface area of a rectangular prism, you can follow this formula.
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism = 2 [(l x w) + (w x h) + (l x h)]
What are the formulas for the surface area and volume of a rectangular prism?
The formula for the surface area of a rectangular prism is:
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism = 2 [(l x w) + (w x h) + (l x h)]
The formula for the volume of a rectangular prism can be derived from the area and is given by,
Volume of a rectangular prism = B x H
Here, “B” is representing the base area while “H” is the height of the prism.
How to find the surface area of a rectangular prism?
To find the surface area of a rectangular prism, you can follow this formula:
SA = 2 [(l x w) + (w x h) + (l x h)]
