Mrs. ayer is painting the outside of her sons toy box, including the top and bottom. The toy box measures 3 feet long, 1.5 feet wide, and 2 feet high. what is the total surface area she will paint?

2(3*1.5 + 3*2 + 1.5*2) = 27

To calculate the total surface area, we need to find the area of each side and then add them up.

The toy box has 6 sides: a top, a bottom, two sides, a front, and a back.

The area of the top and bottom is the same because they both have the same dimensions (3 ft x 1.5 ft). So, we need to find the area of one side and then multiply it by 2.

The area of the top and bottom is: 3 ft x 1.5 ft = 4.5 square feet.

Next, we need to find the area of the sides. The sides have different dimensions. The area of one side is the length multiplied by the height (3 ft x 2 ft = 6 square feet).

Now, we can calculate the total surface area:

Total surface area = (Area of top and bottom) + (Area of side) x 2

Total surface area = (4.5 square feet) + (6 square feet) x 2

Total surface area = 4.5 square feet + 12 square feet

Total surface area = 16.5 square feet

So, Mrs. Ayer will paint a total surface area of 16.5 square feet on her son's toy box.