🧊 3D Shapes

Faces, edges and vertices — explore solid shapes! 🍰

📖 Learn
Shape properties
✏️ Examples
Step-by-step
🔬 Visualiser
Pick a shape!
🎯 Practice
20 mixed questions

🍰 3D Shape Fact!

A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices. The word "vertex" comes from Latin meaning "whirl" or "top". The plural is vertices. Dice are cubes — notice all 6 faces are squares!

📖 3D Shapes

1. Key Vocabulary

WordMeaning
FaceA flat surface of a 3D shape
EdgeA line where two faces meet
VertexA corner where edges meet (plural: vertices)
Euler's rule: Faces + Vertices − Edges = 2

2. Prisms and Cuboids

ShapeFacesEdgesVertices
Cube6128
Cuboid6128
Triangular prism596

3. Pyramids

ShapeFacesEdgesVertices
Square pyramid585
Tetrahedron (triangular pyramid)464
Octahedron8126

4. Curved Shapes

ShapeFacesEdgesVertices
Sphere1 (curved)00
Cylinder3 (2 flat, 1 curved)20
Cone2 (1 flat, 1 curved)11

5. Nets

A net is a flat shape that folds up to make a 3D shape.

Cube net: 6 squares arranged in a cross or other patterns
Cuboid net: 6 rectangles (some may be square)
Triangular prism net: 2 triangles + 3 rectangles
Square pyramid net: 1 square + 4 triangles

6. Recognising 3D Shapes in the Real World

Real object3D shape
DiceCube
Cereal boxCuboid
FootballSphere
Can of soupCylinder
Ice cream coneCone
TentTriangular prism
Egyptian monumentSquare pyramid

✏️ Worked Examples

Example 1 – Faces

How many faces does a cube have?

A cube has: top, bottom, front, back, left, right
Count: 6 faces
Answer: 6

Example 2 – Edges

How many edges does a triangular prism have?

A triangular prism has 3 edges on each triangle end = 6
Plus 3 edges joining the two triangles = 3
Total: 6 + 3 = 9 edges

Example 3 – Vertices

How many vertices does a square pyramid have?

4 corners at the base + 1 apex at the top
Answer: 5 vertices

Example 4 – Identify shape from clues

A shape has 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 vertices. What is it?

This matches a cube or cuboid
Answer: Cube / Cuboid (8 vertices)

Example 5 – Net question

A cube net has how many square faces?

A cube has 6 faces, all square
Answer: 6 square faces

🔬 3D Shape Picker

Choose a shape from the dropdown to see its picture and properties table!

Select a Shape


Properties

PropertyValue
Faces
Edges
Vertices
Shape of faces
Real-world example

Exercise 1 – Number of Faces

How many faces does each shape have?

Exercise 2 – Number of Edges

How many edges does each shape have?

Exercise 3 – Number of Vertices

How many vertices does each shape have?

Exercise 4 – Shape from Clues (give vertex count)

Read the clue and write the number of vertices of the shape described.

Exercise 5 – Net Questions (square faces)

How many square faces does each net or shape have?

🎯 Practice – 20 Questions

Mixed 3D shape questions — faces, edges and vertices.

🏆 Challenge – 8 Questions

Tricky 3D shape questions. Think carefully!