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Identify the common 3D shapes

This math skill involves identifying common three-dimensional shapes, distinguishing between prisms and pyramids, and naming them based on their base shapes. Prisms have parallel sides, while pyramids converge at a point. Special cases include the cube, cylinder, sphere, and cone, recognized through specific shape features.

Learn identify the common 3D shapes

Teaching Transcript

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Name the common 3 dimensional shapes

Two main types are prisms, which have parallel sides, and pyramids, which come to a single point.

Prisms and pyramids are both named by their base shape, so if it starts with a hexagon and has parallel sides it's a hexagonal prism, and if it starts from a hexagon and comes to a point it's a hexagonal pyramid.

Starting from a rectangle and with parallel sides is a rectangular prism, but if all sides are equal, we usually just call it a cube, not a square prism.

If the base shape is a circle, it would usually be called a cylinder, not a circular prism. A sphere is a ball shape.

A triangular pyramid is sometimes called a tetrahedron, although both names are used. A circular base that comes to a point is called a cone.