Surface area of the box = 37.5 square feet
Solution:
Edge length of the cube (a) = [tex]2\frac{1}{2}[/tex] ft
Convert mixed fraction into improper fraction.
[tex]$2\frac{1}{2}=\frac{2\times2 + 1}{2}=\frac{5}{2}[/tex]
Surface area of the cube = 6a²
[tex]$=6\left(2\frac{1}{2}\right)^2[/tex]
[tex]$=6\left(\frac{5}{2}\right)^2[/tex]
[tex]$=6\left(\frac{25}{4}\right)[/tex]
= 37.5 square feet
Surface area of the box = 37.5 square feet