What is a cylinder?
A cylinder is a 3D shape with two flat circle ends joined by one curved face.
The answer
A cylinder has 3 faces, 2 edges and 0 vertices.
Cylinder diagram and properties
| Property | Count |
|---|---|
| Faces2 flat circles and 1 curved face | 3 |
| Flat faces | 2 |
| Curved faces | 1 |
| Edges | 2 |
| Vertices (corners) | 0 |
Most primary schools count the curved side as a face and the circles round each end as curved edges. Some books say 2 faces and 1 curved surface instead. Both describe the same shape.
Key facts about the cylinder
- Its two edges are circles, where the curved face meets each flat end.
- It has no vertices: there are no corners anywhere.
- It can roll in a straight line, and it can stand up on either end.
- Its net is two circles and one rectangle, which wraps round to make the curved face.
Where you see it
A tin of beans, a toilet roll tube, a glue stick and a candle.
The common mistake
Calling a cylinder a prism or counting vertices where the ends meet the side. The edges are smooth circles, so there are no corners at all.
An 11+ style question
What 2D shapes make the net of a cylinder?
Answer: Two circles and one rectangle
- The two flat ends are circles.
- Unroll the curved side, like peeling the label off a tin, and it lies flat as a rectangle.
- One pair of the rectangle's sides is exactly as long as the distance round each circle, so it wraps round them perfectly.
Related shapes and skills
More shapes
Questions parents ask
How many faces, edges and vertices does a cylinder have?
A cylinder has 3 faces, 2 edges and 0 vertices. In an 11+ nets question, the two circles must touch opposite sides of the rectangle: the pair of sides that wrap round them. If both circles sit on the same side, the net cannot fold into a cylinder.
Does a cylinder have vertices?
No. A cylinder has no corners, so it has 0 vertices. It has 2 curved edges, one round each end.
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.