Apply the technique of using nets. What is the surface of the rectangular prism whose dimensions measure 7 inches by 3 inches by 11 inches?
To find the surface area of a rectangular prism, we first need to find the area of all the individual faces and then add them together.
The net of a rectangular prism consists of 6 faces - 2 rectangles with dimensions 7 inches by 3 inches (top and bottom), 2 rectangles with dimensions 7 inches by 11 inches (front and back), and 2 rectangles with dimensions 3 inches by 11 inches (sides).
The area of each face can be calculated as follows:
Top and bottom faces: 7 inches * 3 inches = 21 square inches each
Front and back faces: 7 inches * 11 inches = 77 square inches each
Side faces: 3 inches * 11 inches = 33 square inches each
Now we can add up all the areas to get the total surface area:
21 + 21 + 77 + 77 + 33 + 33 = 262 square inches
So, the surface area of the rectangular prism is 262 square inches.