Surface Area with Composite Solids

[HeyImDragon]

Can someone please help me understand this??

 

[mmm4444bot]

Can someone please help me understand this??

In future posts, please ask more specific questions. (I don't know what part or concepts you do not understand.)

Your answer "3 [rectangular] prisms" is correct.

You know how to calculate the area of a rectangle.

Look at the diagram, and for each face of each prism that is exposed to the air (including the base), calculate its area. Then add the results.

If you need more help, please include your work and thoughts so far. Cheers :cool:

 

[HallsofIvy]

Do you know how to find the surface area of a single rectangular prism? (Do you know what a "rectangular prism" is?). There are several different ways you can "cut" this figure into three rectangular prisms but the simplest is to cut off the two parts that "rise above" the rest. Note that there will be four faces, or parts of faces, of the three rectangular prisms that fit together and so will not contribute to the surface area of the entire thing.