A deli wraps its cylindrical containers of hot food items with plastic wrap. The containers have a diameter of 5.5 inches and a height of 3 inches. What is the minimum amount of plastic wrap needed to completely wrap 8 containers? Round your answer to the nearest tenth and approximate using [tex]\pi = 3.14[/tex].

A. [tex]51.8 \, \text{in}^2[/tex]
B. [tex]99.3 \, \text{in}^2[/tex]
C. [tex]595.8 \, \text{in}^2[/tex]
D. [tex]794.4 \, \text{in}^2[/tex]

To find the minimum amount of plastic wrap needed to completely wrap 8 cylindrical containers, we need to calculate the surface area of one container and then multiply it by 8. Here's how you can do it:

1. Find the Radius:
- The diameter of each cylindrical container is 5.5 inches.
- The radius is half the diameter, so the radius is [tex]$ \frac{5.5}{2} = 2.75 $[/tex] inches.

2. Calculate the Surface Area of One Container:
- Lateral Surface Area: This is the area around the side of the cylinder. The formula is [tex]$ 2\pi \times \text{radius} \times \text{height} $[/tex].
- Plug in the values: [tex]$ 2 \times 3.14 \times 2.75 \times 3 = 51.8 $[/tex] square inches.
- Top and Bottom Area: Each cylinder has two circular ends. The formula for the area of a circle is [tex]$ \pi \times \text{radius}^2 $[/tex].
- So, the area of one end is [tex]$ 3.14 \times 2.75^2 = 23.7 $[/tex] square inches.
- Since there are two ends, multiply this by 2: [tex]$ 2 \times 23.7 = 47.4 $[/tex] square inches.
- Total Surface Area for One Container: Add the lateral area and the top and bottom areas together.
- Total surface area = [tex]$ 51.8 + 47.4 = 99.3 $[/tex] square inches.

3. Calculate the Total Surface Area for 8 Containers:
- Multiply the surface area of one container by 8: [tex]$ 99.3 \times 8 = 794.4 $[/tex] square inches.

Therefore, the minimum amount of plastic wrap needed to completely wrap 8 containers is 794.4 square inches.