Tommy and Cole are planning to build an aquarium for their pet fish. If the dimensions of the aquarium are 17 inches long, 9 inches wide, and 11 inches tall, how much glass do they need to buy to enclose the aquarium?
Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism: 2lw + 21h + 2wh
Given the dimensions of the aquarium, we can calculate the surface area as follows:
Surface Area = 2(17)(9) + 2(9)(11) + 2(17)(11)
Surface Area = 2(153) + 2(99) + 2(187)
Surface Area = 306 + 198 + 374
Surface Area = 878 square inches
To enclose the entire aquarium, Tommy and Cole will need to buy 878 square inches of glass.