1. **Stating the problem:** We need to find the surface area of a rectangular prism (cuboid) with length $24$ cm, width $12$ cm, and height $18$ cm. 2. **Formula used:** The surface area $S$ of a rectangular prism is given by: $$S = 2(lw + lh + wh)$$ where $l$ is length, $w$ is width, and $h$ is height. 3. **Substitute the given values:** $$l = 24, \quad w = 12, \quad h = 18$$ 4. **Calculate each product:** $$lw = 24 \times 12 = 288$$ $$lh = 24 \times 18 = 432$$ $$wh = 12 \times 18 = 216$$ 5. **Sum the products:** $$lw + lh + wh = 288 + 432 + 216 = 936$$ 6. **Calculate the surface area:** $$S = 2 \times 936 = 1872$$ 7. **Final answer:** The surface area of the rectangular prism is **1872 cm²**.