What is a cone?
A cone is a 3D shape with a flat circle base and one curved face that narrows to a point.
The answer
A cone has 2 faces, 1 edge and 1 vertex.
Cone diagram and properties
| Property | Count |
|---|---|
| Faces1 flat circle and 1 curved face | 2 |
| Flat faces | 1 |
| Curved faces | 1 |
| Edges | 1 |
| Vertices (corners) | 1 |
Most primary schools count the point at the top, the apex, as 1 vertex. Some books say a cone has no vertices because the apex is not where edges meet. Check what your child's school uses.
Key facts about the cone
- Its one edge is the circle where the curved face meets the base.
- The point at the top is called the apex.
- It rolls round in a circle, not in a straight line, because one end is wider than the other.
Where you see it
An ice-cream cone, a traffic cone, a party hat and the tip of a sharpened pencil.
The common mistake
Calling a cone a pyramid because both have a point. A pyramid has a flat base with straight sides and flat triangle faces; a cone has a circle and a curved face.
An 11+ style question
Which of these shapes have a curved face: cube, cone, cylinder, square-based pyramid?
Answer: The cone and the cylinder
- A cube and a square-based pyramid have flat faces only.
- A cone has 1 curved face and a cylinder has 1 curved face.
Related shapes and skills
More shapes
Questions parents ask
How many faces, edges and vertices does a cone have?
A cone has 2 faces, 1 edge and 1 vertex. Its net is a circle and a curved fan shape, which rolls up to make the curved face.
How is a cone different from a cylinder?
Both have one curved face. A cylinder has a flat circle at each end and no point. A cone has only one flat circle, at the bottom, and narrows to a point at the top.
Shape questions are quick marks in the 11+
Angles, symmetry, nets and 3D shapes come up in 11+ maths and non-verbal reasoning. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.