1. **State the problem:** We need to find the surface area of a hexagonal prism where each hexagonal face has an area of 23 cm² and the height of the prism is 9 cm. 2. **Recall the formula for surface area of a prism:** The surface area $SA$ of a prism is given by: $$SA = 2 \times \text{Base Area} + \text{Lateral Area}$$ where the lateral area is the perimeter of the base times the height. 3. **Identify given values:** - Base area $A_b = 23$ cm² - Height $h = 9$ cm - Edge length of hexagon $a = 3$ cm (given) 4. **Calculate the perimeter of the hexagonal base:** A regular hexagon has 6 equal sides, so: $$P = 6 \times a = 6 \times 3 = 18 \text{ cm}$$ 5. **Calculate the lateral area:** $$\text{Lateral Area} = P \times h = 18 \times 9 = 162 \text{ cm}^2$$ 6. **Calculate total surface area:** $$SA = 2 \times A_b + \text{Lateral Area} = 2 \times 23 + 162 = 46 + 162 = 208 \text{ cm}^2$$ 7. **Final answer:** The surface area of the prism is **208 cm²**.