Final answer:
The surface area of a quadrilateral prism with a square base of side 2 inches and height 5 inches is 48 square inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The surface area of a quadrilateral prism with a square base is calculated by finding the area of the two bases and the lateral surface area. As the base is a square with a side of 2 in, the area of one square base is 2 in × 2 in = 4 in².
Since there are two bases, their combined area is 2 × 4 in² = 8 in².
The lateral surface area is the perimeter of the base times the height of the prism.
The perimeter of the square base is 4 × 2 in = 8 in.
Multiplying the perimeter by the prism's height (5 in) gives us the lateral surface area of 8 in × 5 in = 40 in².
To find the total surface area of the prism, add the area of the two bases to the lateral surface area:
Total Surface Area = Base Area + Lateral Surface Area
= 8 in² + 40 in²
= 48 in²
Therefore, the surface area of the quadrilateral prism is 48 square inches.