Geometry: Faces, Edges, and Vertices of 3D Shapes
Counting flat faces, straight edges, and corners
Geometry: Faces, Edges, and Vertices of 3D Shapes
Counting flat faces, straight edges, and corners
Math - Grade 2-3
- 1
A cube has 6 flat square faces. How many faces does a cube have?
A cube has 6 faces. Each face is a flat square. - 2
Count the vertices on a cube. Remember that vertices are corners.
Count the 4 corners on the top and the 4 corners on the bottom.
A cube has 8 vertices. They are the 8 corners of the cube. - 3
A rectangular prism is shaped like a cereal box. How many faces does it have?
A rectangular prism has 6 faces. A cereal box has a front, back, top, bottom, left side, and right side. - 4
How many edges does a rectangular prism have?
A rectangular prism has the same number of edges as a cube.
A rectangular prism has 12 edges. The edges are the straight lines where two faces meet. - 5
A square pyramid has 1 square face on the bottom and 4 triangle faces on the sides. How many faces does it have in all?
Add 1 and 4.
A square pyramid has 5 faces in all. It has 1 square face plus 4 triangle faces. - 6
How many vertices does a square pyramid have?
A square pyramid has 5 vertices. It has 4 vertices on the square base and 1 vertex at the top. - 7
A triangular prism has 2 triangle faces and 3 rectangle faces. How many faces does it have?
Add the triangle faces and rectangle faces together.
A triangular prism has 5 faces. It has 2 triangle faces and 3 rectangle faces. - 8
A triangular prism has 6 vertices. If 3 vertices are on one triangle end, how many vertices are on the other triangle end?
There are 3 vertices on the other triangle end. The prism has 6 vertices total, and 6 minus 3 equals 3. - 9
A cube and a rectangular prism both have the same number of faces. How many faces do they each have?
Think about a dice and a shoebox.
They each have 6 faces. A cube and a rectangular prism both have 6 flat faces. - 10
Which shape has more vertices: a cube or a square pyramid?
A cube has more vertices. A cube has 8 vertices, and a square pyramid has 5 vertices. - 11
Look at a shape with 4 triangle faces and no square or rectangle faces. This shape is a triangular pyramid. How many faces does it have?
Count each triangle face.
A triangular pyramid has 4 faces. All 4 faces are triangles. - 12
A triangular pyramid has 4 vertices. How many fewer vertices does it have than a cube?
Subtract the number of vertices on the triangular pyramid from the number on the cube.
A triangular pyramid has 4 fewer vertices than a cube. A cube has 8 vertices, and 8 minus 4 equals 4. - 13
A solid shape has 6 faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices. Is it more like a cube or a square pyramid?
It is more like a cube. A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices. - 14
Maya counts 5 faces and 5 vertices on a shape. She thinks the shape is a square pyramid. Is Maya correct?
A square pyramid has 1 square base, 4 triangle sides, 4 base corners, and 1 top corner.
Maya is correct. A square pyramid has 5 faces and 5 vertices. - 15
Draw or name one 3D shape that has 8 vertices. Then write how many faces it has.
A cube and a rectangular prism both have 8 corners.
One correct answer is a cube, which has 8 vertices and 6 faces. Another correct answer is a rectangular prism, which also has 8 vertices and 6 faces.