Recognizing common 3D shapes

So, I have five three-dimensional shapes over here, and I also have five names for them. What I want you to do is pause this video and think about which of these shapes is a square pyramid, which of these is a rectangular prism, which one is a triangular prism, which one is a sphere, and which one is a cylinder.

All right, now let's just work through this together. Really, this is just something to know because some people in various subjects will sometimes throw out these words. So first, let's start. Let's think about which one is the square pyramid.

So, this shape here on the right clearly looks like a pyramid, and the thing that makes it a square pyramid is the idea that its base is a square. Let me see if I can shade this in. So the base of this right over here is a square, and so that's where the square pyramid comes from. If it's a triangular pyramid, then the base would only have three sides, but this is a square pyramid.

So, let me move this over there. So that is a square pyramid. All right, let's do the next one. Which one is a rectangular prism? A prism you can view as a three-dimensional object, and since it's saying rectangular prism, well the best one here that is rectangular, notice this shape right over here is rectangular on every side, and it's three dimensions. It is a prism, and so this is the rectangular prism.

So, let's move that over. So that is our rectangular prism. Now for the triangular prism. So, this one is interesting. If you look at this shape right over here, it has sides that are triangles. You see this up here is a triangle, and you see this down here is a triangle, although they're connected by these rectangular sides. This is actually what's called a triangular prism.

In a square pyramid, thus the faces which are triangles all meet at a point. In a triangular prism, you have two opposite facing sides that are triangles, and you'll see all of these in different orientations and different, you know, sometimes it'll be resting like this, sometimes it'll be on its side, but this is a triangular prism. Let me so that is a triangular prism.

And so we have two left. You might be able to figure these out. Which one is a sphere? Well, when I think sphere, I think of like a globe, and so this choice right over here is clearly a sphere. So let me move that over. Let me move it over. Okay, so that one is a sphere.

And then, last but not least, the thing that looks like a can is a cylinder. So, let me move that over. So that is a cylinder, and we're all done. So these are just useful names to know for shapes. A cylinder is you're connecting. You have these two faces that are circular, and then they are opposite each other. It's kind of like a triangular prism, but instead of having these hard edges because you have a triangle, you have a base that is a circle and a top that is a circle.