How do i find the lateral area and the surface area of a rectangular prism

with the height of 8.5"
the width 4"
the depth 3.25"
I don't want you to do it for me i want to know what formula or how i start to solve for those two things please

This is from the above site:

"The lateral area L (area of the vertical sides only) of any right prism is equal to the perimeter of the base times the height of the prism (L = Ph)."

If the perimeter of the base is 10 inches and the height is 3 inches, then the lateral area is 30 inches.

i don't get lateral area either

http://library.thinkquest.org/20991/geo/solids.html

ok i found how to do the surface area but i still don't know what to use for the lateral area

the lateral area of a solid is the surface area with the base excluded.

So if it says to find the surface area of a cone you would include the circle, but if you are to find the lateral area of a cone you would find only the top part surface.

To find the lateral area and surface area of a rectangular prism, here is how you can start:

1. Lateral Area:
The lateral area of a rectangular prism is the sum of the areas of its four lateral faces.

To calculate the lateral area, you need to find the area of one lateral face and then multiply it by 4 (since there are four lateral faces in a rectangular prism).

The formula to find the area of a rectangular face is:
Area = length * height

In the case of a rectangular prism, any two sides can be considered as its length and width (or width and depth, or depth and height, depending on how you perceive it).

So, to find the lateral area:
- Choose any two sides to represent the length and width (or width and depth, or depth and height) of the rectangular prism.
- Calculate the area of one of the lateral faces using the chosen sides.
- Multiply the area of one lateral face by 4 to get the lateral area of the rectangular prism.

2. Surface Area:
The surface area of a rectangular prism is the sum of the areas of all its six faces.

To calculate the surface area, you need to find the areas of all the faces and then sum them up.

The formula to find the area of a rectangular face is the same as mentioned above:
Area = length * height

To find the surface area:
- Calculate the area of each face individually using the appropriate sides.
- Sum up the areas of all the faces to get the surface area of the rectangular prism.

Remember, the length, width, and height of the rectangular prism can be interchanged based on how you perceive it, but make sure to use the same measurements consistently throughout the calculations.

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