3D Shapes and Nets
Year 5 students explore the properties of 3D shapes and construct their nets, understanding how flat shapes fold to form solid objects.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
A net is a flat 2D pattern that can be folded to form a 3D shape
A cube has 6 square faces, 8 vertices, and 12 edges
A triangular prism has 5 faces (2 triangles, 3 rectangles), 6 vertices, and 9 edges
Euler's rule for polyhedra: Faces + Vertices − Edges = 2
Key Vocabulary
Net
A flat 2D shape that can be folded to make a 3D solid
Face
A flat surface on a 3D shape
Edge
The line where two faces of a 3D shape meet
Vertex
A corner point where edges of a 3D shape meet (plural: vertices)
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
How many faces does a cube have?
Question 2
A square pyramid has a square base and 4 triangular faces. How many vertices does it have?
Question 3
Which net would fold into a triangular prism?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●A net is a flat 2D pattern that can be folded to form a 3D shape
- ●A cube has 6 square faces, 8 vertices, and 12 edges
- ●A triangular prism has 5 faces (2 triangles, 3 rectangles), 6 vertices, and 9 edges
- ●Euler's rule for polyhedra: Faces + Vertices − Edges = 2