GCSE-ready3D shapes, nets, plans and elevations
3D shapes are described by their faces, edges and vertices, and drawn in 2D using nets, plans and elevations.
Faces, edges and vertices
| Shape | Faces | Edges | Vertices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cube or cuboid | 6 | 12 | 8 |
| Triangular prism | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Square-based pyramid | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Tetrahedron (triangular pyramid) | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Hexagonal prism | 8 | 18 | 12 |
Nets
A cube has 11 different nets, each made of 6 squares.
A cylinder's net is two circles and a rectangle whose length is the circumference.
Plans and elevations
Front elevation: the view from the front.
Side elevation: the view from the side.
A cylinder standing upright has a circle as its plan and a rectangle as its front elevation.
A square-based pyramid has a square with its diagonals as its plan and a triangle as its elevations.
How many edges does a hexagonal prism have?
- Each hexagonal end has 6 edges: 12.
- 6 edges join the two ends.
- Check: F + V − E = 8 + 12 − 18 = 2.
Answer: 18 edges
Count faces, edges and vertices carefully and check with F + V − E = 2. Plan = from above; elevations = from the front and side.
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2 more questions
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How many edges does a cube have?
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Answer: 12
4 on the top, 4 on the bottom and 4 upright: 12.
How many vertices does a tetrahedron (triangle-based pyramid) have?
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Answer: 4
3 on the base and 1 at the top: 4.
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- Pearson Edexcel GCSE Mathematics (1MA1) specification, topic G12, G13
- Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics (4MA1) specification, topic 4.10
Checked by the GCSE-ready editorial team, 17 October 2026. Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.