I need from experienced people such advice, for example, it is given on the exam that we have cylinder with base radius $3$ and height $4$. The question is to calculate the surface area. Generally, as I know the formula for surface area of cylinder used in GRE exam is $2\pi r^2+2\pi rh$, but we have two definitions of surface area. One is lateral, which is just only the second part or $2\pi rh$ and total surface area which is the complete formula given above.
Please help me determine which one is required to find surface area on the GRE exam?
Thanks in advance.
It depends on the context. If your cylinder is a small object and you are asked to gift wrap it, for example, then you have to consider the total surface area, because you want to cover the whole object, lateral + bases.
If you are asked to create a container, whose base is on earth, and whose top will be open from which you would be pouring things into the cylinder then you are to calculate the lateral surface area only as you are not interested in covering the base and the top.