Cuboctahedron

Nafshiyat Nihal

John Burdock

Mr. Acre & Mrs. Gravel

GAT/IDS 9C

2 March 2017
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The Cuboctahedron

The cuboctahedron is an Archimedean solid meaning that all the faces are regular

polygons, although not all the faces are the same polygon. Specifically, the cuboctahedron is

composed of 8 equilateral triangular faces and 6 square faces. When looking at the

cuboctahedron’s faces, one can notice that math can be applied in many ways to the

cuboctahedron. In this project, the side length of the cuboctahedron is 7.2 cm. The goal of this

paper is to find the surface area and then discuss the three methods that one can use to find the

volume of the cuboctahedron.

Figure 1. Finding an Edge of the Cuboctahedron

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Figure 1 above shows how to find an edge of the cuboctahedron. First, start with the edge

of the original cube, represented as x. In this case, x represents 7.2 cm. Next, since the

cuboctahedron’s vertices are the midpoints of the sides of the original cube, find the length of a

vertices of a cube to the midpoint of a side which would be (1/2)x which is 3.6 cm. Finally, to

find the edge of the cuboctahedron, look at the corner pyramids. The lateral faces of the corner

pyramids form right angles since they meet at the vertex of a cube, and they are also isosceles

since the opposite sides are (1/2)x. Using the 45°, 45°, 90° triangle method, the edges of the

cuboctahedron are (1/2)x√2, or 3.6√2 cm. All the edges of the cuboctahedron are congruent

because they all meet at the midpoints of the sides of the original cube and require the same

methods will be used to find their lengths.

Figure 2. Finding the Height of a Triangular Face

Figure 2 above shows how to find the height of a triangular face of the cuboctahedron.

Since the edges of the cuboctahedron are congruent, the triangular faces are equilateral. To find

the height, draw an altitude. This altitude bisects the 60° angle at the top, making it 30°. The

angle on the right is 60°, and the other angle in the middle is 90° because altitudes meet at 90°.
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The altitude also bisects the line that it is perpendicular to since the triangle is regular. This

makes one of the triangle’s base (1/4)x√2. Now using the 30°, 60°, 90° triangle method, the

height of the triangular face is (1/4)x√6.

Side Length of Original Cube (S) = x

(S) = 7.2 cm

Area of Square Face (ASQ) = Side2

ASQ = ((1/2)x√2)2
Figure
ASQ 3. Findingcm)
= (3.6√2 the2 Surface Area of the Cuboctahedron
ASQ = 25.92 cm2
Figure 3 above shows how to find the surface area of the cuboctahedron. The side of the
Area of Triangular Face (ATRI) = (1/2)*base*height
original cube is 7.2 cm. The formula for the area of a square is the side times the side. The side
ATRI = (1/2)((1/2)x√2)((1/4)x√6)
ofATRI = (1/2)(3.6√2)(1.8√6)
the square was 3.6√2 cm, andcmwhen that is plugged in to the area formula, the area of a square
2
ATRI = 6.48√3 cm
face of the cuboctahedron is 25.92 cm2. The area formula for a triangle is (1/2)*base*height, and
Surface Area of Cuboctahedron (SA) = Sum of Area of Faces
when
SA =the 3.6√2 cm is the base, and when 1.8√6 cm is the height, the area of a triangular face is
(8(ATRI))+(6(ASQ))
SA = (8(6.48√3))+(6(25.92)) cm2
6.48√3 cm2. The cuboctahedron has 8 triangular faces and 6 square faces, so when 8*6.48√3 is
SA = 51.84√3+155.52 cm2
added to 6*25.92, the surface area of the cuboctahedron is 51.84√3+155.52 cm2.
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Figure 4. Finding the Measurements of the Corner Pyramid

Figure 4 above shows how to find the measurements of the corner pyramid of the original

cube. The congruent sides of the lateral faces are (1/2)x since they meet at the midpoints of the

sides of the original cube. The lateral faces are 45°, 45° 90° triangles because they meet at right

angles since they meet at the vertex of a cube and their opposite sides are congruent. This causes

the other sides of the lateral faces or the sides of the equilateral base to be (1/2)x√2. To find the

height of one of the congruent faces, draw an altitude from the angle between the congruent sides

to the base. This forms two 45°, 45°, 90° triangles which causes the height of the congruent faces

to be (1/4)x√2.
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Volume of Original Cube (VOC) = Side3

VOC = x3
VOC = (7.2 cm)3
VOC = 373.248 cm3

Volume of Corner Pyramid (VCP) = 1/3(Area of the Base)(Height of Pyramid)

VCP = 1/3(1/2((1/2)x√2)((1/4)x√2)((1/2)x)
VCP 5.
Figure = 1/3(1/2(3.6√2)(1.8√2))(3.6)
Finding the Volume of the Cuboctahedron Using the First Method
VCP = 7.776 cm3
Figure 5 above shows how to find the volume of the cuboctahedron using one method.
Volume of Cuboctahedron (VCO) = VOC-(4*VCP)
First,
VCOfind the volume of the original
= 373.248-(8*7.776) cm3 cube which is the side cubed. The volume is 373.248 cm3.
VCO = 311.04 cm3
Then, find the volume of the corner pyramid. The volume formula for any pyramid is (1/3) times

the area of the base times the height of the pyramid. When using one of the 3 congruent faces of

the pyramid as the base, the area of the base is (1/2(3.6√2)(1.8√2)) cm2 and the height of the

pyramid is 3.6 cm since the faces meet at a right angle which causes the height to be half of the

side of the cube since the side meets at a midpoint of a side of the original cube. This makes the

volume of the corner pyramid equal to 7.776 cm3. There are 8 corner pyramids that are cut off of

the original cube to make the cuboctahedron, so when (8*7.776) cm3 is subtracted from 373.248

cm3, the volume of the cuboctahedron is 311.04 cm3.

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Figure 6. Finding the Measurements of the Inner Prism

Figure 6 above shows how to find the dimensions of the inner prism. The inner prism is

the prism formed when connected the vertices of two parallel and opposite square faces of the

cuboctahedron. Since the bases of the prism are the square faces of the cuboctahedron, the sides

of the square bases are (1/2)x√2, and the height of the prism is x because the height is between

two parallel square faces, causing it to be the same length as a side of the original cube.
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Figure 7. Finding the Volume of the Square Prism

Figure 7 above shows how to find the volume of the square prism. To start with this

shape, you must first find the length, the width, and finally the height. In this project the side

length assigned was 7.2 cm and through the knowledge of math and calculations it was

discovered that the prism had a length of 3.6√2 cm, a width of 3.6√2 cm. and a height of 7.2 cm.

With this information, plug in the values previously discussed into the formula

V=(length)(width)(height), doing this will get you V= (3.6√2) (3.6√2) (7.2). When multiplied,

these will give you 186.624 cm³. Notice that the square root has been eliminated because (√2) (

√2) is √4 and can be simplified into 2.

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Figure 8 and 9. Showing the Side Lengths and Height of the Rectangular pyramid

In figure 8 this is demonstrating the side lengths of the square and the triangles in the

pyramid. The side length is that of the original cuboctahedron so it is 7.2 cm and the other side is

the same since they are congruent. After knowing this, you can calculate the length of the

triangles sides by dividing by 2 or multiplying by (1/2) and adding a √2 since it is a 45°, 45°, 90°

triangle when divided in two. Figure 9 is showing how to find the height if the pyramid. To do

this you would use your knowledge of 30°, 60°, 90° triangles to show that if one side is 1.8√2

and you must multiply that by √3 then it can be reasonably assumed that the new length would

be 1.8√6 cm.
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Figure 10. Finding the Volume of a Rectangular Pyramid

Figure 10 as shown above represents how to find the volume of a rectangular pyramid.

The first step in this is to find the lengths for the sides, the width, and the height. In this figure

the width given was 7.2 cm, through some minor calculations the length was discovered to be

3.6√2 cm and the height of the pyramid was determined to be 1.8√6 cm. After you plug this into

the volume formula which is V=(1/3)(l)(w)(h) you would get V=15.552√12. Simplifying this

will give you 31.104√3 cm³.

Volume of the square prism (VOS) = length*width*height

VOS=(3.6√2cm) (3.6√2cm) (7.2cm)
VOS=22.16cm³

Volume of the rectangular pyramid (VRP)= 1/3(length) (width) (height)

VRP= 1/3(3.6√2cm) (7.2cm) (1.8√6cm)
VRP= 15.55√12 cm³

Volume of Cubo (VoC)= VOS+ 4(VRP)

VoC= 22.16cm + 4(15.55√12cm)
VoC= 22.16cm³ + 62.2√12cm³/3
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Figure 11. Finding the Side lengths of the Tetrahedron

Figure 11 above shows the side lengths for the tetrahedron. Since we already have found

the side lengths numerous times we can use previous knowledge to confirm that it is 3.6 cm.

With this information and the rules of special 45°, 45°, 90° triangles we can confirm that the

length of the inner triangles sides would be 3.6√2 cm.

Figure 12. The Height of the tetrahedron

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Figure 12 is demonstrating how to find the height of the tetrahedron. Since we

know all the side lengths we can split the shape down the middle to form a 45°,45°,90°

triangle. From there divide the bottom length in two and use the Pythagorean theorem to

find the height of the figure which is 3.6 cm.

Figure 13. The Volume of the Tetrahedron

Figure 13 shows how to find the volume of a tetrahedron. This shows that the formula is

(a)³ divided by 6√2. Once the numbers are plugged in and some simplifying is done the answer is

46.656√8 divided by 6√2 which after careful calculation leaves 31.104cm ³. This was done with

a basic understanding of the shapes geometry and mathematical concepts including fraction and

formula work.
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Figure 14. The Side Lengths of a Square Pyramid

Figure 14 is the net drawing of a regular square pyramid. Since we have the lengths of the

sides calculated from the work given for the tetrahedron, we can confirm that the side lengths are

3.6 (also we know this by the fact their endpoint is the midpoint or center of the line which was

determined to be 7.2). Following the same pattern that was done in the tetrahedron, apply the

special triangle rules for 45°,45°,90° triangles to the shape and calculate the final length using

the Pythagorean theorem.

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Figure 15. The Height of a Square Pyramid

Figure 15 demonstrated how to go from a standard equilateral triangle to a special right

triangle and finally to apply mathematical concepts to find the height. The first step was to divide

the triangle down the middle and create a triangle with two 45° angles and one 90° angle. Then

divide the bottom length by 2, square all the numbers, set them equal to 1.8√6 and solve for the

height of the triangle or the b value. So, if you break this down you get 6.48 plus b² equals 19.44.

If you simplify even further you end up with the √ of 12.99 or 3.6.
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Figure 16. Finding the Volume of a Square pyramid.

Figure 16 is demonstrating how to find the volume of a square pyramid. There are a few

different ways to find the volume of this shape, the most common one is to find the area of the

base and one triangle and multiply that triangle’s volume by 4 and add the two together. But

there is a direct and simple formula, a side length squared multiplied by the height divided by 3.

When this formula is used for the shape it is discovered that the volume of the square pyramid is

31.104cm ³ (Which wen multiplied by 10 will give you the volume of the cubo).

Volume of original cubo= Volume of 8 tetrahedrons + 6 square pyramids

𝑎³
Volume of tetrahedron (VOT)=6√ 2

(3.6√2)³
VOT = =
6√ 2

VOT = 31.104cm³

Volume of square pyramid(VSP) = a²h/3

The cuboctahedron, a complex shape consisting of many different and unique shapes was
VSP= (3.6√2) ² (3.6/3)
an adventure to find the volume of an irregular shape in different ways then may have been
VPS = 25.92(1.2)
commonly thought of. In this project, all the individual shapes were analyzed and lengths were
VPS= 31.104

VOC= 8(31.104) + 6(31.1040

VOC=435.456
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previously determined but we had to find the rest, that being that the original side length

assigned to us was 7.2cm. The volume of all sizes and shapes of the cuboctahedron were

determined and the total volume was found, the total volume being 311.04 cm3. Overall there

were seven individual shapes plus one for the cubo itself. This was a learning experience and

was something that will help to build up and reinforce geometrical knowledge. The main

problem that we have encountered throughout this project was with the nets. It was not that it

was very challenging but it was very tedious to evenly scale and create the nets perfectly

especially when dealing with side lengths that have square roots in them. Today and in this

paper, we have found the volume of the cubo three different ways. We have found the volume of

all the individual shapes based on the predetermined side length, and we have determined that

there are many ways to find the volume of shapes and there is not one set way but there may be a

way that works best. Also, whichever way the volume of the cubo was discovered, there was the

same overall volume of the shape.