A sphere is a perfectly-round 3D shape with one continuous curved surface; every point on the surface is the same distance from the center. All the ends of its surface are equidistant (an equal distance) from its center.
Characteristics of a Sphere
Spheres are perfectly round and have the following:
- one curved surface;
- no edges;
- no vertices;
- all the points are the same distance from the center.
Here are the properties of other common 3D shapes:
- Cube: 6 faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices;
- Square-based pyramid: 5 aces, 8 edges, and 5 vertices;
- Cuboid: 6 faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices;
- Tetrahedron: 4 faces, 6 edges, and 4 vertices;
- Octahedron: 8 faces, 12 edges, and 6 vertices.
Fun Facts About Spheres
- Spheres can be found everywhere, in the food we eat and especially in sports with basketballs, footballs, tennis balls, etc.
- All points on the surface of a sphere are the same distance from the center.
- Spheres are perfectly symmetrical shapes.
- The distance from the center of a sphere to its surface is known as the radius.
- The most significant distance through a sphere is the diameter, twice the size of the radius.
- You can work out a sphere’s volume and surface area using Pi (π).
- A sphere is circular in every direction.
- Sometimes a sphere has a north and a south pole on opposite ends of its surface.
- A sphere can be divided into two hemispheres, equal in size, by a flat 2D surface that goes through the center.
- We often use words like the North Pole, South Pole, hemisphere, and equator when talking about the Earth. However, the Earth isn’t a sphere – it is more of a flattened sphere (spheroid).
