3D Shapes and Nets
Creating and Folding 3D Paper Models
Explore how 2D nets fold into 3D shapes. Click on the buttons to see different shapes and their corresponding nets. You can also rotate the 3D shapes by dragging them!
Cube
Observation:
A cube net consists of 6 square faces arranged in a pattern that can fold into a 3D cube. There are 11 possible distinct cube nets.
The Science Behind 3D Shapes and Nets
Key Concepts:
Nets are 2D representations of 3D shapes that can be folded to form the shape:
- Cube: 6 square faces with 11 possible net arrangements
- Square Pyramid: 1 square base and 4 triangular faces
- Triangular Prism: 2 triangular bases and 3 rectangular faces
Mathematical Principles:
Nets demonstrate how surface area is calculated by summing the areas of all faces. The folding patterns show geometric relationships between 2D and 3D space, helping visualize spatial reasoning and volume concepts.
