Question

follow the steps to find the surface area of the square prism. what is the area of the top and bottom? top and bottom: ? front and back: sides: total sa: 3 cm 8 cm 3 cm

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the shape of top and bottom

The top and bottom of a square prism (which is a rectangular prism with a square base here) are squares. The side length of the square base is 3 cm.

Step2: Calculate area of one square

The area of a square is given by the formula \( A = s^2 \), where \( s \) is the side length. For one square (top or bottom), \( s = 3 \) cm, so \( A = 3^2=9 \) \( cm^2 \).

Step3: Calculate area of top and bottom

Since there are two such squares (top and bottom), we multiply the area of one square by 2. So, \( 2\times9 = 18 \) \( cm^2 \).

Answer:

\( 18 \) square centimeters