Nets of a Cube

Problem Statement
The net of a solid represents all of the connected faces of the solid. When you fold the net at its
creases, you should be able to recreate the solid. For instance, in the figures below, the net shown
to the left will create the cube to the right if you fold the net at each of the lines.

There are a variety of nets that can make a cube. Devise as many possible nets for a cube as you
can.

Problem setup
We’ve explored the idea of different nets in class. In this particular investigation I am trying to
find the different nets of a cube. A net is the two-dimensional figure that can be made into a
three-dimensional figure.

Plans to Solve/Investigate the Problem

I will determine how many nets there are to make a cube shape in GSP. By creating a square tool,
I will have an easy way to continue to construct the nets without having to make a new square
every time.

Investigation/Exploration of the Problem

I started figuring out the nets that would form a cube, starting with the nets that I was more
familiar and gradually developing more and more complicated nets. To see if the net would work
as a cube, I constructed a few from paper and folded them into (hopefully) cubes to ensure that
the nets worked.
I found 11 different nets that when folded up into a 3D figure will form a cube and they are:
The eleven nets of a cube that I found will each produce a cube,
but each one of them is arranged just a little differently. Every net has six faces, 14 vertices
(when folded each has 8) and 19 edges (when folded each has 12). The difference in the vertices
and edges of the nets compared to the 3D cube is that unfolded and in 2D the net will have more
vertices and edges, once the cube is made and the figure is seen in 3D some of the vertices and
edges will become the same vertex/edge (they’ll overlap) therefore decreasing the number of
vertices and edges in the figure.
The interesting thing about discovering nets of a cube is that there are so many possibilities to
the forming of a cube; while most of us have seen one or two of the above ways to form a cube;
it is hard to imagine that there are eleven possible ways to create the one figure.
Extensions of the Problem
Devise the nets for the following solids:

right square pyramid right cylinder

 sphere
I’ll try to construct nets for the above three figures:

This right square pyramid is constructed using a square and three equilateral triangles.

This right cylinder is constructed using a rectangle and two circles (their radii are equal to the
distance between the midpoint and endpoint of the side the circles are both connected to).
A sphere is basically impossible to really construct although you can come close using multiple
ovals.

Author & Contact

Jana Bowling
lucygirljb@hotmail.com