Final answer:
The volume of the artifact in the rectangular prism is 360 cubic inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the volume of the rectangular prism, we need to first find the dimensions of the base. The problem states that the length of the base is 3 times the width of the base. Let's assume the width of the base is x inches. This means the length of the base is 3x inches. Since the perimeter of the prism is 16 inches, we can set up the equation 2(x + 3x) = 16 to solve for x. Simplifying this equation gives us 8x = 16, which leads to x = 2 inches. Therefore, the width of the base is 2 inches and the length of the base is 3(2) = 6 inches.
To find the volume of the prism, we multiply the length, width, and height. The artifact is given to be 2.5 feet. Since 1 foot is equal to 12 inches, the height of the prism is 2.5 * 12 = 30 inches. Therefore, the volume of the prism is 6 * 2 * 30 = 360 cubic inches.