The diagram below shows the design for a piece of furniture made of 3 cubes joined together.
Two cubes vertically aligned, and the first cube has a cube to the left of it. Each cube has a side length 2 feet.
What is the total surface area of the piece of furniture?
A.
24 square feet
B.
28 square feet
C.
56 square feet
D.
72 square feet
C. 56 square feet
Explanation:
Each cube has a surface area of 6 sides x 2 feet x 2 feet = 24 square feet. Since there are 3 cubes joined together, the total surface area of the piece of furniture is 24 square feet x 3 = 72 square feet. However, since one face of each cube is not exposed because it is inside the arrangement, the total surface area is actually 72 square feet - 16 square feet (for the interior faces) = 56 square feet.