Cube
From Latin: cubus - "cube, a die"
Definition:
A solid with six congruent square faces. A regular hexahedron.
Try this
Drag anywhere in the cube below to rotate it in any direction. Note how all the faces are squares and identical (congruent).
Move the 'explode' slider to separate the faces.
(If there is no image below, see support page.)
A cube is a region of space formed by six identical square faces joined along their edges.
Three edges join at each corner to form a vertex. The cube can also be called a regular hexahedron.
It is one of the five regular polyhedrons, which are also sometimes referred to as the
Platonic solids.
Parts of a cube
| Face |
Also called facets or sides. A cube has six faces which are all squares,
so each face has four equal sides and all four interior angles are right angles. See
Definition of a square. In the figure above, drag the 'explode' slider to see the faces separated for clarity.
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| Edge |
A line segment formed where two edges meet. A cube has 12 edges.
Because all faces are squares and congruent to each other, all 12 edges are the same length.
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| Vertex |
A point formed where three edges meet. A cube has 8 vertices.
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| Face Diagonals |
Face diagonals are line segments linking the opposite corners of a face.
Each face has two, for a total of 12 in the cube. See
Diagonals of a square and
Diagonals of a cube.
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| Space Diagonals |
Space diagonals are line segments linking the opposite corners of a cube,
cutting through its interior. A cube has 4 space diagonals. See
Diagonals of a cube.
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Properties of a cube
| Volume |
The volume is s3 where s is the length of one edge. See
Volume of a cube.
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| Surface Area |
The surface area of a cube is 6s2 , where s is the length of one edge. See
Surface area of a cube.
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Related topics
(C) 2007 Copyright John Page
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