There are 71 NRICH Mathematical resources connected to Cubes & cuboids, you may find related items under 3D Geometry, Shape and Space.
Broad Topics > 3D Geometry, Shape and Space > Cubes & cuboidsAre these statements always true, sometimes true or never true?
How can you change the surface area of a cuboid but keep its volume the same? How can you change the volume but keep the surface area the same?
This challenge involves eight three-cube models made from interlocking cubes. Investigate different ways of putting the models together then compare your constructions.
The challenge for you is to make a string of six (or more!) graded cubes.
Jo made a cube from some smaller cubes, painted some of the faces of the large cube, and then took it apart again. 45 small cubes had no paint on them at all. How many small cubes did Jo use?
I've made some cubes and some cubes with holes in. This challenge invites you to explore the difference in the number of small cubes I've used. Can you see any patterns?
Stick some cubes together to make a cuboid. Find two of the angles by as many different methods as you can devise.
What is the greatest volume you can get for a rectangular (cuboid) parcel if the maximum combined length and girth are 2 metres?
Can you find a cuboid that has a surface area of exactly 100 square units. Is there more than one? Can you find them all?
A spider is sitting in the middle of one of the smallest walls in a room and a fly is resting beside the window. What is the shortest distance the spider would have to crawl to catch the fly?
Imagine a large cube made from small red cubes being dropped into a pot of yellow paint. How many of the small cubes will have yellow paint on their faces?
Here are four cubes joined together. How many other arrangements of four cubes can you find? Can you draw them on dotty paper?
Here are the six faces of a cube - in no particular order. Here are three views of the cube. Can you deduce where the faces are in relation to each other and record them on the net of this cube?
How many winning lines can you make in a three-dimensional version of noughts and crosses?
Can you use small coloured cubes to make a 3 by 3 by 3 cube so that each face of the bigger cube contains one of each colour?
Eight children each had a cube made from modelling clay. They cut them into four pieces which were all exactly the same shape and size. Whose pieces are the same? Can you decide who made each set?
Let's say you can only use two different lengths - 2 units and 4 units. Using just these 2 lengths as the edges how many different cuboids can you make?
How many faces can you see when you arrange these three cubes in different ways?
Nicola has lost a piece of her 3D jigsaw. Can you work out the shape of the missing piece?
Which faces are opposite each other when this net is folded into a cube?
When dice land edge-up, we usually roll again. But what if we didn't...?
How many models can you find which obey these rules?
This task develops spatial reasoning skills. By framing and asking questions a member of the team has to find out what mathematical object they have chosen.
This task depends on groups working collaboratively, discussing and reasoning to agree a final product.
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
A task which depends on members of the group working collaboratively to reach a single goal.
Can you find ways of joining cubes together so that 28 faces are visible?
Discover a way to sum square numbers by building cuboids from small cubes. Can you picture how the sequence will grow?
A useful visualising exercise which offers opportunities for discussion and generalising, and which could be used for thinking about the formulae needed for generating the results on a spreadsheet.
Imagine a 3 by 3 by 3 cube. If you and a friend drill holes in some of the small cubes in the ways described, how many will have holes drilled through them?
Imagine a 3 by 3 by 3 cube made of 9 small cubes. Each face of the large cube is painted a different colour. How many small cubes will have two painted faces? Where are they?
Imagine a 4 by 4 by 4 cube. If you and a friend drill holes in some of the small cubes in the ways described, how many will not have holes drilled through them?
This problem provides training in visualisation and representation of 3D shapes. You will need to imagine rotating cubes, squashing cubes and even superimposing cubes!
In this problem we see how many pieces we can cut a cube of cheese into using a limited number of slices. How many pieces will you be able to make?
A description of how to make the five Platonic solids out of paper.
Make a cube with three strips of paper. Colour three faces or use the numbers 1 to 6 to make a die.
What is the smallest cuboid that you can put in this box so that you cannot fit another that's the same into it?
What is the largest cuboid you can wrap in an A3 sheet of paper?
The net of a cube is to be cut from a sheet of card 100 cm square. What is the maximum volume cube that can be made from a single piece of card?
There are 27 small cubes in a 3 x 3 x 3 cube, 54 faces being visible at any one time. Is it possible to reorganise these cubes so that by dipping the large cube into a pot of paint three times you. . . .
This article for teachers discusses examples of problems in which there is no obvious method but in which children can be encouraged to think deeply about the context and extend their ability to. . . .
How can we as teachers begin to introduce 3D ideas to young children? Where do they start? How can we lay the foundations for a later enthusiasm for working in three dimensions?
A ribbon runs around a box so that it makes a complete loop with two parallel pieces of ribbon on the top. How long will the ribbon be?
Toni Beardon has chosen this article introducing a rich area for practical exploration and discovery in 3D geometry
A 3x3x3 cube may be reduced to unit cubes in six saw cuts. If after every cut you can rearrange the pieces before cutting straight through, can you do it in fewer?
Can you make a 3x3 cube with these shapes made from small cubes?
A game has a special dice with a colour spot on each face. These three pictures show different views of the same dice. What colour is opposite blue?
How can you paint the faces of these eight cubes so they can be put together to make a 2 x 2 x 2 cube that is green all over AND a 2 x 2 x 2 cube that is yellow all over?