Final answer:
The surface area of the prism is 448 square inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the surface area of a prism with a square base, we need to calculate the area of the base and the lateral area. The area of the square base is found by multiplying the length of one side by itself: 8 inches x 8 inches = 64 square inches. The lateral area of a prism is the sum of the areas of all its faces except the base. Since the prism has a height of 12 inches, each side of the square base contributes a rectangle with dimensions 8 inches x 12 inches. There are 4 sides, so the total lateral area is 4 x (8 inches x 12 inches) = 384 square inches. Adding the area of the base and the lateral area gives the total surface area of the prism: 64 square inches + 384 square inches = 448 square inches.