For a rectangular prism with length l, width w, and height h, which expression gives its surface area?

Sharpen your skills for the Praxis Middle School Mathematics Test. Prepare with a variety of questions, hints, and explanations. Get ready to ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

For a rectangular prism with length l, width w, and height h, which expression gives its surface area?

Explanation:
Surface area comes from adding the areas of all six faces. A rectangular prism has two faces of each type: lw (top and bottom), wh (front and back), and lh (left and right). Since there are two of each, total surface area is 2(lw) + 2(wh) + 2(lh) = 2(lw + wh + lh) = 2(wh + lw + lh). This matches the given expression. The other forms either miss the factor of 2 or double-count beyond the actual surface area, so they don’t equal the total.

Surface area comes from adding the areas of all six faces. A rectangular prism has two faces of each type: lw (top and bottom), wh (front and back), and lh (left and right). Since there are two of each, total surface area is 2(lw) + 2(wh) + 2(lh) = 2(lw + wh + lh) = 2(wh + lw + lh). This matches the given expression. The other forms either miss the factor of 2 or double-count beyond the actual surface area, so they don’t equal the total.

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