Naming 3D Shapes

Flat shapes live on paper, but solid shapes live in the world! A football, a box, a can — these are all 3D shapes you can hold and feel.

What does 3D mean?

• 3D stands for three-dimensional — a solid shape with length, width, and height.
• You can pick up a 3D shape. It takes up space.
• The flat surfaces on a 3D shape are called faces. The lines where faces meet are called edges.

The six shapes to know

• Sphere — perfectly round all over, no flat faces. Example: a ball.
• Cube — 6 equal square faces, 12 edges. Example: a dice.
• Cylinder — 2 circular faces, 1 curved surface. Example: a can of soup.
• Cone — 1 circular face, 1 curved surface, comes to a point. Example: an ice cream cone.
• Rectangular prism — 6 rectangular faces. Example: a cereal box.
• Pyramid — a square base and 4 triangular faces meeting at a point. Example: the pyramids of Egypt.

2D vs 3D — a quick way to tell

• If you can draw it flat on paper, it is 2D.
• If you can stack it or roll it, it is 3D.