Watch: The properties of 3D shapes
A curtain opens on a stage to reveal different shaped animated characters - a sphere, a cube and a pyramid.
NARRATOR: It's crunch time for the 3D crew. And who's going to take home the coveted, and totally pointless, prize of, eh鈥 most properties?
Two cubes high-five as they prepare to compete.
NARRATOR: Well, anyway鈥 A 3D cube has six square faces.
The faces of the cube are lit up to highlight all six. A judge writes 6 under faces on a score board. Now the edges of the cube are highlighted. Then the judge writes 12 under edges, and the corners of the cube are highlighted next and 8 recorded under vertices.
NARRATOR: Edges - that's twelve. Right, what about corners, or vertices - that's the bits where the edges meet? Eight!
The cubes high-five each other as the crowd applauds.
NARRATOR: Oh, cube's really smashing this! Time for the mighty, square-based pyramid. Let's go!
Next we see the pyramids ready to compete. Their faces, edges and vertices are all highlighted and the scores written on the board.
NARRATOR: Faces? Five. Edges? Eight. And vertices? Five again. Good try pyramid, but cube's still in the lead.
The crowd applaud and the pyramids high-five each other. Now we see the spheres ready to compete, and their faces, edges and vertices are recorded. A negative buzzer goes when zero is scored.
NARRATOR: Finally, what about the sphere? So, faces? Well, just the one. Edges? Zero. Vertices? None. Oh dear! Oh well.
The spheres are disappointed and one is angry.
NARRATOR: Oh come on, don't be like that! Where you going?
The sphere kicks the score board and hurts his foot. He hops away.
NARRATOR: What a sore loser!
The score board falls down, the competing sphere walks off disappointed, and the curtains close.
Ends.
Properties of 3D shapes
3D shapes have faces (sides), edges and vertices (corners).
Faces - A face is a flat or curved surface on a 3D shape. For example a cube has six faces, a cylinder has three and a sphere has just one.
Edges - An edge is where two faces meet. For example a cube has 12 edges, a cylinder has two and a sphere has none.
Vertices - A vertex is a corner where edges meet. The plural is vertices. For example a cube has eight vertices, a cone has one vertex and a sphere has none.
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
NEW! Play Karate Cats Maths - the winter update. game
Deck the dojo in the Christmas update and unlock festive outfits for your Karate Cats. Available for a limited time only!
More on Shape and space
Find out more by working through a topic
- count8 of 15
- count9 of 15
- count10 of 15
- count11 of 15
