The surface area of a rectangular prism is 60 in.² and its lateral area is 44 in.² The area of a base of the prism is _____ in.².
I dont want any answers i want to find out how to set it up.

Question

The surface area of a rectangular prism is 60 in.² and its lateral area is 44 in.² The area of a base of the prism is _____ in.².
I dont want any answers i want to find out how to set it up.

mathstudent55 · Answer

This is a rectangular prisim

mathstudent55 · Answer

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mathstudent55 · Answer

How many faces does the prism have?

anonymous · Answer

5.

mathstudent55 · Answer

Top, bottom, front, back, right, left
Total of 6 faces

anonymous · Answer

Oh. Okay.

mathstudent55 · Answer

The top and bottom faces are called the bases.

anonymous · Answer

Yes.

mathstudent55 · Answer

The other faces, front, back, left, and right, are the faces whose area is called the lateral area.

mathstudent55 · Answer

Each pair of opposite faces havethe same area.

mathstudent55 · Answer

The top base and the bottom base have the same area. The front face and the back face have the same area. The left face and the right face have the same area.

mathstudent55 · Answer

You know the total surface area. That is the area of all 6 faces added together.

mathstudent55 · Answer

You also know the lateral area. that is the area of the front, back, left and right faces added together.

mathstudent55 · Answer

If you subtract the lateral area from the total area, you get the area of both bases.

mathstudent55 · Answer

Since both bases are congruent rectangles and have the same area, if you divide the area of the bases by 2 you get the area of each base.

anonymous · Answer

so the bases are both 8?

mathstudent55 · Answer

Yes.
60 in^2 - 44 in^2 = 16 in^2
16 in^2 / 2 = 8 in^2

anonymous · Answer

so the answer to the problem is 8in^2?
right?

mathstudent55 · Answer

Correct

anonymous · Answer

omg thank you so muchhh!!

mathstudent55 · Answer

you're welcome