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📦 Nets of 3D Shapes

Unfold cubes, cuboids, pyramids, and cylinders into flat nets — and learn which flat patterns fold back into a solid.

lessons

~30 min

to learn

🔢 Math

subject

Ages 6–12

level

Start the course →

What you’ll learn

From Flat to SolidUnderstand what a net is and count the faces of common solids.A net is a flat pattern of all a solid's faces that folds up into a 3D shape. Solids have flat faces, straight edges, and corners called vertices. Different solids have different numbers of faces — a cube has 6, a square-based pyramid has 5 — and the net has one shape for every face.
The Cube NetIdentify which arrangements of six squares fold into a cube.A cube has 6 identical square faces, so its net is always 6 squares. But not every group of 6 squares works: a cross or a row-with-flaps folds neatly, while a straight line of 6 curls around and overlaps. To check a net, count the squares, imagine folding, and watch for overlaps or missing faces.
Nets of More ShapesMatch cylinders, cuboids, and pyramids to their nets.Every solid has its own net. A cylinder unrolls into a rectangle plus two circles. A cuboid opens into 6 rectangles. A square-based pyramid flattens into 1 square and 4 triangles. The net always contains one flat shape for each face of the solid.

Questions this course answers

What is a net?

A net is a flat pattern of all a solid's faces that folds up into the 3D shape.

A flat surface of a solid shape is called a…

A face is one of the flat surfaces of a solid, like a single side of a box.

How many faces does a cube have?

A cube has 6 square faces, all the same size.

How many squares must a cube's net have?

A cube has 6 faces, so its net needs exactly 6 squares.

Which pattern folds neatly into a cube?

The cross of 6 squares folds into four walls, a base, and a top — a perfect cube.

Why does a straight line of six squares NOT fold into a cube?

A straight strip curls all the way around, so the end squares land on top of each other instead of forming separate faces.

Grounded in trusted sources

Khan Academy Kids
BBC Bitesize — KS2 Maths
NRICH — University of Cambridge
Britannica Kids

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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