3D shapes are basically three-dimensional solid shapes.The three dimensions of any 3D shape are their length, width, and height. The difference between 2D and 3D geometric shapes is that 3D shapes always occupy space.As opposed to 2D shapes, which only have length and width, 3D shapes are solids that have length, width, and height. 3D shapes have depth, which means they also have volume. Geometric 3D shapes often have two-dimensional shapes as their base. For example, the pyramid is made of one square and four equilateral triangles. We are going to discuss the properties, importance, examples, and other fun facts about three-dimensional shapes. If you want to learn more about three-dimensional shapes or 3D shapes, read this article and find out more.Introduction To 3D ShapesIf you are just being introduced to three-dimensional shapes, there is nothing better to start you off than a proper introduction. As we mentioned before, 3D shapes or three-dimensional shapes are basically solid objects or shapes with three dimensions: length, width, and height. Read on further to know more about 3D shapes.A three-dimensional shape, popularly known as a 3D shape, is basically any shape or a solid object that has three dimensions.These three dimensions are, namely, their length, width, and height. Unlike two-dimensional shapes, three-dimensional shapes have depth or thickness.The difference between two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional shapes is that the latter occupies space while the former does not. For example, a triangle is a 2D shape, but a sphere is a 3D shape.The properties of 3D shapes are very simple and fun to learn about.3D shapes are always solid or appear to be solid.Since they have depth, 3D shapes also have volume.A solid 3D figure that has six or more faces is called a polyhedron.A very good example of a regular polyhedron would be a cube.A cube comes with six square faces and can also be called a hexahedron.Polyhedrons also all have vertices.Vertices are the points where two or more edges or lines meet with each other.We can also see a lot of 3D solid objects in our day-to-day lives.Some of the most common 3D shapes are spheres, cones, cylinders, cubes, rectangular prism, and pyramids.The most common examples of 3D shapes can be found all around us. However, it is rather hard to see 2D shapes around us except in artworks and drawings.Basketballs and tennis balls are examples of spheres. Dice and Rubik’s cube are both examples of the common geometrical 3D shapes.The Invention Of 3D ShapesNow that we have covered the bases of 3D shapes and their properties, let’s learn more about the invention of these three-dimensional shapes. How were they invented, and by who? Read on to learn the answers to these questions, along with many other facts associated with these three-dimensional shapes that are going to blow your mind.3D shapes have always existed in the world from times immemorial.The invention of three-dimensional geometry was done by Euclid of Alexandria.Euclid was one of the students of the Greek philosopher Plato.Euclid wrote a treatise of 13 books called ‘The Elements of Geometry.‘In this book, Euclid wrote about geometry in its ideal form. This form is now known as Euclidian Geometry.There are three dimensions in 3D geometry, and they are known as x-y-z dimensions. They can be thought of as length, width, and height. But in modern geometry, they are predicted as length, height, and depth.If we understand zero dimension, which is a point and has no length, height, or depth, understanding the properties of three dimensions is relatively easy.We can obtain 3D shapes by rotating 2D shapes or adding depth to them.The faces or plains of these geometric 3D shapes are usually all 2D shapes.For example, the faces of a cube are all squares. All the sides of a rectangular prism are rectangles.What are 3D shapes?Now that we covered the basics of 3D shapes and their history, we are going to dive a bit deeper into what 3D shapes are and the different types of these three-dimensional shapes that have been invented.As we discussed before, 3D shapes are solid objects that have three dimensions. Namely, length, width, and height.Some of the terms associated with a three-dimensional object can be faces, edges, vertices, lateral surfaces, curved surfaces, and volumes.There are primarily two types of three-dimensional shapes, curved surface solids, and polyhedrons.Curved solids, as the name suggests, are 3D shapes that have curved surfaces. There are primarily three types of curved solids.The first curved 3D shape on the list is called a sphere. A sphere is round in shape and has a singular curved surface. All of the points of the sphere are equidistant from the center. A soccer ball is an example of a sphere.The second 3D shape on the list is called a cone. The cone is a curved solid that has a circular base and a single curved surface. It also has one vertex. An ice cream cone is a prime example of a cone.The third 3D shape on the list is called a cylinder. A cylinder has two parallel circular bases and one curved surface that connects those two bases. A soda can is an excellent example of a cylinder.Now, coming back to polyhedrons or polyhedra, they are 3D shapes that have straight sides.All polyhedrons have straight edges.Polyhedrons have flat sides. These sides are called faces.The point where two or more edges meet is called a vertex. All polyhedrons have vertices.As polygons are divided into subcategories in the 2D space, polyhedrons also have similar subcategories in the 3D space.There are regular polyhedrons and irregular polyhedrons.Other divisions are the convex polyhedrons and concave polyhedrons.The regular polyhedra are very symmetrical.The number of regular convex polyhedra is five. They are also called platonic solids.The first platonic solid is a tetrahedron or a triangle pyramid. In a tetrahedron, all its four sides are equilateral triangles. An equilateral triangle is a 2D shape. It’s a triangle whose sides all measure the same. This shape has four vertices.The second platonic solid is a cube that has six identical square faces. A cube has eight vertices.The octahedron is another platonic solid that has eight identical triangular faces. This shape has six vertices. A regular dodecahedron is a platonic solid that has 12 identical pentagonal faces, and the number of vertices for this shape is 20.The last one on the list is an icosahedron. This shape has 20 faces that are equilateral triangles. This shape has 12 vertices.There are many other polyhedra. We are going to discuss some of the most common ones here.The first one is a square pyramid. This is a three-dimensional shape. It has a square base. There are also four equilateral triangles that meet at one apex point. This 3D shape has five faces and five vertices.The next one is a cuboid that has six faces that are rectangular. This 3D shape has eight vertices.A cuboid is also known as a rectangular prism.A prism is a 3D shape that has identical polygon ends. It also has flat parallelogram sides.Fun Facts About 3D ShapesHere are some fun facts about 3D shapes that you must know. Children will love these facts and would love to learn about 3D geometry with the help of these facts.The three most important parts of any 3D shape are its edges, faces, and vertices.Any curved or flat surface on a 3D shape is known as a face.A cube has six identical square faces. A cone has a circular flat face and a curved surface.The line segment between the faces of two faces is called an edge.A cuboid or a rectangular prism has 12 edges, and a cylinder has two.A vertex (plural vertices) is a point where two or more edges meet with each other.There are five vertices in a pyramid.A perfect example of a sphere will be a globe or a basketball.A perfect example of a cube will be a dice or a Rubik’s cube.The pyramids of Egypt are prime examples of square pyramids.Traffic cones are great examples of cones in our daily lives.Books are prime examples of cuboids.The soda cans that we use are perfect examples of cylinders.Did you know?The largest 3D shape in the world is a Rhombicosidodecahedron. It is an Archimedian solid. It has 20 faces that are triangular, 30 faces that are squares, and 12 that are regular pentagons. This shape has 120 edges and 60 vertices.The Louvre pyramid is a beautiful installation that is a perfect example of a square pyramid. It is situated in the city of Paris in the prestigious museum of the Louvre.Some other 3D shapes also include pentagonal pyramids, hexagonal pyramids, pentagonal prisms, octagonal prisms, and many more.The total space a 3D shape occupies is known as its volume. The unit of measurement of a 3D shape’s volume is cubic in/cm.
3D shapes are basically three-dimensional solid shapes.
