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Geometry - Identifying 3D shapes (prisms, pyramids, spheres)

Grade 3IGCSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

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3D shapes are solid objects that have three dimensions: length, width, and height.

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Faces: The flat or curved surfaces that make up the outside of a 3D shape.

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Edges: The straight or curved lines where two faces meet.

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Vertices: The corners or points where two or more edges meet (singular: vertex).

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Prisms: Shapes with two identical ends (bases) and the same cross-section all along their length (e.g., triangular prism, cube, cuboid).

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Pyramids: Shapes with a flat base (like a square or triangle) and triangular sides that meet at a single point at the top called the apex.

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Spheres: Perfectly round 3D shapes, like a ball, with one continuous curved surface and no edges or vertices.

📐Formulae

Faces+Vertices−Edges=2\text{Faces} + \text{Vertices} - \text{Edges} = 2 (Euler's Formula for polyhedra)

Number of faces on a pyramid=number of sides on the base+1\text{Number of faces on a pyramid} = \text{number of sides on the base} + 1

Number of vertices on a pyramid=number of sides on the base+1\text{Number of vertices on a pyramid} = \text{number of sides on the base} + 1

💡Examples

Problem 1:

Identify the 3D shape that has 1 square base and 4 triangular faces that meet at a point.

Solution:

Square-based Pyramid

Explanation:

A pyramid is named after its base. Since the base is a square and the sides are triangles meeting at an apex, it is a square-based pyramid.

Problem 2:

How many faces, edges, and vertices does a triangular prism have?

Solution:

5 faces, 9 edges, and 6 vertices.

Explanation:

A triangular prism has 2 triangular faces (the ends) and 3 rectangular faces. It has 3 edges around each triangle plus 3 connecting edges (3+3+3=93+3+3=9). It has 3 vertices on each triangular face (3+3=63+3=6).

Problem 3:

Which 3D shape has no flat faces, no edges, and no vertices?

Solution:

Sphere

Explanation:

A sphere is a perfectly round solid. Because it is completely curved, it does not have any flat surfaces (faces), sharp lines (edges), or corners (vertices).