To find the surface area of the rectangular prism, we need to calculate the area of each of the six rectangles and then add them together.
1. The top rectangle has dimensions 5 feet by 8 feet, so its area is 5 * 8 = 40 square feet.
2. The bottom rectangle has the same dimensions as the top rectangle, so its area is also 40 square feet.
3. The two smaller side rectangles have dimensions 2 feet by 5 feet each, so their combined area is 2 * 5 + 2 * 5 = 20 square feet.
4. The two larger side rectangles have dimensions 5 feet by 8 feet each, so their combined area is 5 * 8 + 5 * 8 = 80 square feet.
Adding up all the areas: 40 + 40 + 20 + 80 = 180 square feet.
Therefore, the surface area of the rectangular prism is 180 square feet.