How to solve the lateral surface of a=bh

The simple formula is Lateral  Surface Area + 2( area of the base).  You must remember that Lateral surface Area = perimeter times the height. For example if you have a triangular prism, your base is a triangle.   Add the length of its sides and multiply times its height.  Now you find the area of the triangular base with the formula, 1/2base x the height and multiply this times two.    Lastly you add the Lateral Surface Area to this part of the formula and you have your answer in squared units. For a cylinder, you follow the same formula, but now  the base is a cirlce.  You must use the formula for the circumference of a circle, 3.14 x diameter.  Next you multiply this with the height.  Plug in the numbers for the area of the base which for a cirlce is 3.14 x radius squared.  Multiply this by 2 and add this to the Lateral Surface Area.  The result is the Surface Area of the prism and the cylinder.  

To find the surface area of any prism, including cylinders because a cylinder is just a prism with circles for bases (take a regular sheet of paper which is a rectangle and roll it up and what do you get?), I teach my 7th grade students a generic formula: S=2B + Ph

S=surface area

B=area of 1 base of the prism

P=perimeter of 1 base of the prism

h=the height of the prism

(hope this helps can i plz have brainlist :D hehe)