How is the area of a parallelepiped calculated?

The area of a parallelepiped is calculated using the formula that takes into account the areas of its three pairs of opposite faces. A parallelepiped has three dimensions, typically referred to as length, width, and height, represented as 'a', 'b', and 'c'. Each pair of opposing faces has an area derived from two of the dimensions:

1. The area of the pair of faces formed by the dimensions 'a' and 'b' is ( ab ).
2. The area of the pair of faces formed by 'a' and 'c' is ( ac ).

3. The area of the pair of faces formed by 'b' and 'c' is ( bc ).

Since there are two of each of these pairs of faces, the total surface area of the parallelepiped is ( 2(ab + ac + bc) ). Thus, the proper way to express the total surface area is by multiplying the sum of these three products by 2, which matches the choice that states the area is equal to ( 2(ab + ac + bc) ).

This understanding helps illustrate why option B is the correct calculation for the area, as it accurately reflects the contribution of all the faces of the