One of the boxes in Elaine's workshop is 18 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 9 inches tall. Explain how to find the surface area of the box.

We can find the surface area in 3 easy steps:

1. Find the area of the top and bottom rectangles.

2 Find the lateral area by finding the perimeter multiply by the height.

3. Add Item 1 and 2 together.

Step 1: Find the area of the top and bottom rectangles:

Area = 2 x (18 x 6) = 216 in²

Step 2: Find the lateral area:

Area = (18 + 18 + 6 + 6) x 9 = 432 in²

Step 3: Add them together:

Total Area = 216 + 432 = 648 in²

Answer: Total surface area = 648 in²