How many edges does a cube have?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
A cube has 12 edges.
To understand this, let’s break down the properties of a cube. A cube is a three-dimensional geometric shape that consists of six square faces, twelve edges, and eight vertices. All of the faces are congruent (they have the same size and shape), and each face is a square.
Here’s why it has 12 edges:
- Faces and Edges:
A cube has six square faces. Each square face has four edges. However, because the cube has shared edges between adjacent faces, we need to account for the fact that not all of these 24 edges (6 faces × 4 edges per face) are unique. - Shared Edges:
Each edge in the cube is shared by two adjacent faces. So, for every shared edge, we count it only once. The number of unique edges that are shared across the six faces gives us the total number of edges. - Calculation:
We can visualize the cube as a box where three sets of four edges meet at right angles. Each set runs along the length, width, and height of the cube. If you count all the unique edges along these directions, you’ll get 12 edges in total.
This unique property of having 12 edges results from the structure of the cube, where three edges meet at each of the eight vertices.
In summary, the cube’s geometric shape with six square faces, where each face shares edges with others, results in the total count of 12 edges.
