Step by step
The question
Question: draw the net of a box 10 by 5 by 4, and find its surface area.
The surface area is the area of all the outside faces together.
A net shows every face flat.
1 Unfold it
We cut along some edges and fold it flat.
Matching faces have the same colour.
2 Area of each face
Top and bottom: 10 × 5 is 50.
Front and back: 10 × 4 is 40.
The two sides: 5 × 4 is 20.
Careful!
Count every face in the net.
A box has 6 faces, not 3.
3 Add them all
We add all 6 faces: 220.
4 Check
Let's check another way.
The faces come in pairs.
One of each: 50 plus 40 plus 20 is 110.
Times 2 is 220.
So the answer is right!
Let's look back.
First: unfold it.
Then: area of each face.
Then: add them all.
Last: check.