2. What is a 3-D Shape?
This is a cube
height
length
It has 3 dimensions – length, height and depth.
All 3-D shapes are solids.

3. Labelling the Parts of a
3-D Shape
A Cube
Edge – a line
where two faces
Face – the flat
meet
surface of a 3-D
shape
A cube has: 6 faces Vertex (vertices) – the point
8 vertices where three or more faces
meet (corner)
12 edges

4. The Shapes you need
to Know
SPHERE
CONE SQUARE-BASED
PYRAMID
Click on each shape to
find out more about CUBE
it!
CYLINDER
Look at this one
first!
CUBOID TRIANGULAR REGULAR
PRISM TETRAHEDRON

5. Cuboid
Key Feature
Six faces which are all rectangles.
Faces 6
Vertices 8
Edges 12
Can you work out how many faces,
vertices and edges I have? Click to
check your answers…
Click on me to check out
other shapes…

6. Cube
Key Feature
Six faces which are all squares.
Faces 6
Vertices 8
Edges 12
Remember to work out how many
faces, vertices and edges I have
before clicking to check your
answers…

7. Triangular Prism
Key Feature
A prism with a triangular cross-section.
Faces 5
Vertices 6
Edges 9
What’s a prism?
Click here to find out…

8. Prisms
• A prism is a special kind of 3D shape .
• Prisms have two ends which are exactly the same shape
and size.
• If a prism is sliced parallel to one of its ends then the new
exposed ends will be exactly the same as the old ones.
• A prism is the same shape and size all the way through.
Examples of prisms:
Hexagonal Prism
Triangular Prism

9. Regular Tetrahedron
Key Feature
Four faces which are all equilateral
triangles.
Faces 4
Vertices 4
Edges 6

10. Sphere
Key Feature
Every point on the surface of the
sphere is the same distance
from the centre.
Faces, Vertices and Corners
The normal definitions of faces, vertices and edges are not
appropriate for a sphere

11. Cylinder
Key Feature
A prism with a circular cross-section.
Faces, Vertices and Edges
The normal definitions of faces,
vertices and edges are not
appropriate for a cylinder.

12. Cone
Key Feature
The point of the cone is directly
above the centre of the circular
base.
Faces, Vertices and Edges
The normal definitions of faces,
vertices and edges are not
appropriate for a cone.

13. Square-Based Pyramid
Key Feature Faces 5
A shape with a square base and Vertices 5
triangular sides that meet at a point.
Edges 8

14. Nets of 3D Shapes

15. Check this out!
1. 3D Shapes 1 - this is a game of matching pairs.
2. Can you arrange the shapes below in a chain so
that each one shares a face (or faces) that are
the same shape as the one that follows it? (The
faces do not have to be the same size.)