Platonic Solids
Explore the geometry and symmetry of Platonic solids
Study faces, edges and symmetry by rotating solids, comparing nested shapes and building your own geometric scene.
Key idea
A Platonic solid has congruent regular polygonal faces, with the same arrangement around every vertex. Faces, edges and vertices describe different aspects of its structure; rotating the view changes none of those counts.
Try this first
Rotate a cube and compare it with an octahedron. Inspect their faces and vertices from several angles, then try a nesting preset. Notice how changing the viewpoint reveals relationships that a flat drawing can hide.
How to get started
- Pick a solid or a nesting preset.
- Drag to rotate it in 3D.
- Change edges, faces and colors in Free Study.
Explore a little further
Try another experiment
Compare a cube and an octahedron. Count their faces and vertices and notice how those numbers exchange roles. Rotate each solid to distinguish an actual edge from a line created by the viewing angle.
Good to know
Free Study, Kepler and nesting presets serve different explorations. A geometric construction is not, by itself, an accurate physical model of planetary distances or motion.
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