Part A: To find the total surface area of the rectangular prism, we need to calculate the areas of all six faces and then add them together.
Given dimensions:
Length = 7 feet
Width = 3 feet
Height = 4.8 feet
Surface Area of each face:
Front and back faces: Length * Height
= 7 feet * 4.8 feet
= 33.6 square feet
Top and bottom faces: Width * Length
= 3 feet * 7 feet
= 21 square feet
Side faces: Width * Height
= 3 feet * 4.8 feet
= 14.4 square feet
Total Surface Area:
2 * (Front and back faces) + 2 * (Top and bottom faces) + 2 * (Side faces)
= 2 * 33.6 square feet + 2 * 21 square feet + 2 * 14.4 square feet
= 67.2 square feet + 42 square feet + 28.8 square feet
= 137 square feet
Therefore, the total surface area of the bench is 137 square feet.
Part B: To calculate the cost of covering the bench with ceramic tiles, we need to multiply the total surface area by the cost per square foot.
Cost per square foot = $0.89
Total Surface Area = 137 square feet
Total cost to cover the bench:
= Cost per square foot * Total Surface Area
= $0.89 * 137 square feet
= $121.93
Therefore, it will cost $121.93 to cover the bench with ceramic tiles.