Why is a square one place away in a row the opposite face?

Four squares in a row wrap into a ring: neighbours meet at right angles, so one square in between lands on the far side. Counting the squares between tells you which faces never touch.

Must a net have the same number of faces as the solid?

Always, because folding only bends the faces, never adds or removes one. A wrong face count rules a net out at once without folding it square by square.

Primary 5 Maths: 3-D Shapes and Nets — Practice Paper 2 (10 Questions)

2026-10-29

Tutor Prep Guide · Primary Maths

Paper 2 works on nets: counting faces from a net, what a prism or pyramid net is made of, which two faces end up opposite, and the length of the rectangle a cylinder unwraps to. Picture the folded shape before answering.

Quick answer　10 questions, about 20 minutes. Items 01 to 03 cover the basic make-up, items 04 and 05 test folding and opposite faces, items 06 and 07 work from the number of sides to edges and vertices, items 08 and 09 judge by face count, item 10 is the commonest slip.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10 questions
Suggested time	20 minutes
Difficulty mix	Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: Primary 5 Maths: 3-D Shapes and Nets — Tutor Lesson Plan
Level	Primary 5

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationHow many squares are in the net of a cube?
FoundationWhat shape does the curved side of a cylinder become when flattened?
FoundationHow many triangles and rectangles are in the net of a three-sided prism?
FoundationIn a net, three squares sit in a row. After folding, where do the first and the third sit?
IntermediateA net has 6 squares: a row of 4 with one above and one below. Can it fold into a cube?
IntermediateThe net of a prism has 5 rectangular sides. How many sides has the base, and how many faces are in the net?
IntermediateHow many edges and vertices has that five-sided prism?
ChallengeA net has 7 squares. Can it fold into a cube? Explain.
ChallengeThe net of a pyramid has 6 triangles and 1 hexagon. What solid is it, and how many edges has it?
Error redoA cylinder has base radius 5 cm. What is the length of the rectangle its curved side unwraps to? (π = 3.14; common slip: answering 10 cm, the diameter)

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	6 squares	A net flattens the faces without changing their number: a cube has 6 faces, so its net has 6 squares.
2	A rectangle (its length equals the circumference of the base)	Cut the curved side open and it flattens to a rectangle: length equal to the base circumference, width equal to the height. It is neither a circle nor a triangle.
3	2 triangles and 3 rectangles	A prism net is two bases plus the sides: two triangles and three rectangles.
4	They are opposite faces (never adjacent)	The middle one becomes a side, so the first and third fold inward and end up opposite. One square in between means opposite faces.
5	Yes, it folds into a cube	There are exactly 6 faces with no overlap: the row of 4 wraps round as the sides, and the two single squares become the top and the bottom.
6	5-sided (a five-sided prism), 7 faces in all	The number of rectangles equals the number of base sides, so the base is a pentagon; add the two bases for 5 + 2 = 7 faces.
7	15 edges and 10 vertices	Five base sides: edges are 5 × 3 = 15 and vertices 5 × 2 = 10. The check 7 + 10 − 15 = 2 holds.
8	No, a cube has only 6 faces	A cube has six faces, so the seventh square must overlap one of the others when folded. The wrong face count rules it out.
9	A six-sided pyramid (7 faces), 12 edges	A pyramid net is one base plus triangles, so six triangles mean a six-sided base. Edges are 6 × 2 = 12, and 7 + 7 − 12 = 2 checks it.
10	31.4 cm	The length must wrap right round the circle: 2 × 3.14 × 5 = 31.4 cm. The diameter is only a straight line across and cannot wrap round.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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