What is a cube?
A cube is a 3D shape with six square faces that are all the same size.
The answer
A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices.
Cube diagram and properties
| Property | Count |
|---|---|
| Faces6 identical squares | 6 |
| Flat faces | 6 |
| Curved faces | 0 |
| Edges | 12 |
| Vertices (corners) | 8 |
Key facts about the cube
- Three faces meet at every vertex, and every edge is the same length.
- A cube is a special cuboid, and a special square-based prism.
- There are 11 different nets that fold up into a cube.
- Volume = length × length × length. That is where "cubed" and cube numbers get their name.
Where you see it
A dice, a sugar cube, a Rubik's cube and a building block.
The common mistake
Counting 4 or 5 faces from a drawing. Some faces are hidden round the back: a cube always has 6, which is why the dashed lines matter.
An 11+ style question
A cube has edges 3 cm long. What is its volume?
Answer: 27 cm³
- Volume of a cube = length × length × length.
- 3 × 3 × 3 = 27, so the volume is 27 cm³.
Which nets fold into a cube?
Try arrangements of six squares and see which ones fold up into a cube.
Six squares joined edge to edge make a cube net only if they fold without overlapping. There are 11 different cube nets.
Related shapes and skills
More shapes
Questions parents ask
How many faces, edges and vertices does a cube have?
A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices. In 11+ nets questions, a row of 4 squares with 1 square above it and 1 below it always folds into a cube, wherever along the row those two squares sit.
How many nets does a cube have?
There are 11 different nets of a cube. Each is 6 squares joined edge to edge. The widget on this page lets you test which arrangements fold up.
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.