Cuboctahedron

Terasia Elias & Jaime Jacob

Acre

9A Geometry and Transformations

1 March 2018
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Twelve identical vertices, two triangles and two squares meeting at each vertice, and

twenty four identical edges, each separating a triangle from a square. The cuboctahedron is an

Archimedean solid, which means it is a semi-regular three dimensional shape. The shapes that

make up the cuboctahedron are regular shapes but they are not similar. The cuboctahedron is a

unique solid with three different ways to construct of the figure. In this paper, the three different

ways to construct the figure will be introduced and explained, using the original measurement of

28.4cm.

To start, the cuboctahedron fits inside a cube with side length of 28.4cm. To find one

length of the cubo by using the original cube measurement, 28.4cm. The corner one face of the

square is 90 degrees, and when the midpoints of two adjacent sides are connected, it creates 45

degree angles. Seeing as a 45, 45, 90 degree triangle is created. Using knowledge of special right

triangles, the hypotenuse is 14.2 √2 . The 14.2 √2 is the length of one side of the cuboctahedron

because of case one, when the corner pyramids are removed. In case one, pyramids, with the

base of 14.2 √2 cm and a height of 14.2cm, are the corners of the original cube.

Figure 1. Top View.

Above is a top view of the original cube. The midpoints of the sides are connected to

form another square inside. The midpoints split each side into two congruent halves. This square
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is the square face of the cuboctahedron. The right triangles are the same right triangles as the

ones in the corner pyramid net.

Since there is a square on the inside, all angles are 90 degrees. Then, the triangles that

are left on the corners are the same right triangles in the net of the corner pyramid. All of the

triangles are congruent due to a triangle congruence theorem known as side side side. Because of

this, both of the angles in each triangle besides for the right angles have to be 45 degrees. They

have to be 45 degrees because a right angle of the inside square and two separate angles of two

triangles form a linear trio. The right angle is 90 degrees, only leaving 90 degrees for the other

two angles. Since the triangles are congruent due to SSS, then the angles have to be congruent as

well. So, divide 90 degrees in half to make the two angles congruent in the linear trio and get 45

degrees.
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Case 1

Figure 2. Net of Corner Pyramid.

The figure above shows the measurements of the corner pyramid net. The net is made up

of 3 right triangles and one equilateral triangle. The right triangles are congruent to each other.

The length of the equilateral triangle is adjacent to one side of the right triangle. Knowing that

congruent parts form congruent triangles, the measurements of the other right triangles were

found. The base triangle has two congruent legs, being 14.2 cm. The hypotenuse is 14.3 √2 cm,

to find this measurement,one leg measurement had to be multiplied by √2 , because there are

only two contrasting lengths in the triangle.

To find the dimensions of these pyramids, a net is very useful. The equilateral triangle is

the same as one triangular face of the cubo. Because of this, it is known the side lengths are 14.2

√2 cm.

To find the height of the pyramid, the height would be the side length of one of the right

triangles. This is because the height is always at a 90 degree angle, and when the pyramid is put

together, the sides of the right triangles come together at a 90 degree angle. So, 14.2 cm would

be the height.
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Area of Square Faces Area of Triangular Faces

Height: 14.2 √2 Base: 14.2 √2 Height: 7.1 √6 Base: 14.2 √2

Area = Length * Height Area = ½ * Base * Height
A = 14.2 √2 *14.2 √2 A = ½ * 14.2 √2 * 7.1 √6
A = 201.64 √4 A = 7.1 √2 * 7.1 √6
A = 403.28 A = 50.41 √12
403.28*6 = 2419.68 A = 100.82 √3
100.82 √3 *8 = 806.56 √3
Figure 3. Area Calculations.

The table above explains the breakdown of the math to find the area of each shape. For

the square, the area formula is used which is length times height and substitute the numbers into

the equation. Once the area is found, there are six square faces in the cubo so the number would

be multiplied by 6, getting a final answer of 2,419.68 cm 2 .

The formula used to find the area of the triangular faces was ½ *Base*Height. Substitute

the numbers into the equation to find the area of one triangular face. Since there happen to be

eight triangular faces on the cubo, multiply the area of the triangular faces by eight to get a final

answer of 806.65 √3 .

Total Surface Area of Cuboctahedron

Total Surface Area = Area of Square Faces + Area of Triangular Faces

TSA = 2419.68 + 806.56 √3
Figure 4. Total Surface Area Calculations

In the figure above, the calculation of the total surface area of the cuboctahedron is

shown. Adding the area of the square faces and the area of the triangular faces will produce a

sum of the total surface area. Integers and roots cannot be combined, so the total surface area

would be 2,419.68 cm2 + 806.56 √3 cm2 .

Volume of Original Cube Volume of Corner Pyramids

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Volume = Area of Base * Height of Prism Volume = ⅓ * Area of Base * Height

V = 28.4 * 28.4 * 28.4 V = ⅓ * (½ *14.2 * 14.2) * 14.2
V = 806.56 * 28.4 V = ⅓ * 100.82 * 14.2
V = 22906.304 cm3 V = ⅓ * 1431.644
V = 477.2166 cm3
477.2166 * 8 = 3817.7173

Figure 5. Volumes of Original Cube and Corner Pyramid.

Shown above is the formula and substitutions used to figure out the volume for the

starting cube and corner pyramid.

To find the space that the original cube takes up, the formula is area of the base

multiplied by the height of the cube itself. THe length of the sides of the cube are 28.4, so when

the values are substituted in, the resulting equation is 28.4 * 28.4 * 28.4. This can also be written

as 28.43 . Either way, the resulting volume is 22906.304 cm3 .

To find the volume of one corner pyramid, the formula is ⅓ * area of the base * height.

The area of the base of a corner pyramid is ½ * base * height. When the values were substituted

in, 14.2 and 14.2 respectively, the resulting product is 100.82. When this number was multiplied

by the height of the pyramid, 14.2, and then multiplied by ⅓, the resulting value is 477.216 cm3 .

This number should be multiplied by eight since there are eight corners to find the volume of the

cube that is not in the cuboctahedron.

Total Volume of Cuboctahedron

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Volume = Volume of Original Cube - Volume of 8 Corner Pyramids

V = 22906.304 - 3817.7173
V = 19088.586 cm3
Figure 6. Total Volume of Cuboctahedron.

Shown above is how to find the volume of the cuboctahedron using method 1, taking

away the corners of the original cube.

To start, the way to find the volume of the cuboctahedron is by subtracting the volume of

eight corner pyramids from the volume of the larger cube. When this is completed, the resulting

volume is 19088.586 cm 3 . This value is the volume of the cuboctahedron.

Case 2
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Another way to build a cuboctahedron is to have a rectangular prism add the base shape

with four rectangular pyramids attached to each of the sides.

Figure 7. Rectangular Prism Net

The figure above shows the base shape of the cuboctahedron. This shape is a rectangular

prism. Knowing that the original measurement is 28.4cm, one side of the rectangle is given. To

find the other length, the measurements of the square also need to be found. As done using

pyramids, one length square face of the cubo is 14.2 √2 cm.

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Figure 8. Net of Rectangular Pyramid

The image above shows the measurements of the rectangular pyramid. The original

number is 28.4cm, so replace that as the width of the rectangular base. To transform the isosceles

triangle into a right triangle cut the base in half, resulting in the measurement of 14.2cm. The

isosceles triangles each have a height of 14.2cm, because the right triangle formed is a 45, 45, 90

degree triangle, meaning that the two legs are congruent. The hypotenuse is 14.2 √2 cm because

that is the square face of the cubo.

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Volume of Square Prism Volume of Rectangular Pyramid

Volume = Area of Base * Height of Prism V = ⅓ * Area of Base * Height of Pyramid

V = (14.2 √2 * 14.2 √2 ) * 28.4 V = ⅓ * (28.4 x 14.2 √2 ) * 7.1 √2
V = 403.28 * 28.4 V = ⅓ * 403.28 √2 * 7.1 √2
V = 11453.152 V = ⅓ * 5726.576
V = 1908.856
1908.856 * 4 = 7635.68
Figure 9. Volumes of Square Prism and Rectangular Pyramids.

Shown above are how to acquire the volumes of the square prisms and rectangular

pyramids, which are used to determine the volume in method 2.

To find the volume of a square prism, the formula is area of the base multiplied by the

height. The area of the base, which is a square is 403.28 cm2 . When multiplied by the height,

which is 28.4, the resulting volume is 11453.152 cm3 . Since there is only one square prism in the

cuboctahedron, the volume does not need to be multiplied by anything.

To find the volume of a rectangular pyramid, the formula ⅓ multiplied by the area of the

base multiplied by the height of the pyramid. The values, respectively, are 403.28 √2 and 7.1 √2.

When those are multiplied together, the resulting product is 5726.576 cm3 . One third of that is

1908.856 cm3 . That is the volume of a rectangular prism. Since there are four rectangular prisms

going around the square prism, the volume must be multiplied by 4. When this happens, the

product 7635.68 cm3 .

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Volume of Cuboctahedron
Volume = Volume of 1 Square Prism + Volume of 4 Rectangular Pyramids
V = 11453.152 + 7635.68
V = 19088.586 cm3
Figure 10. Volume of Cuboctahedron.

Shown above is how to find the volume of a cuboctahedron using method 2.

To do this, the volume of one square prism and the volume of 4 square prisms need to be

added together. The volume of the square prism is 11453.152; the volume of one rectangular

pyramids is 1908.856, and the volume of 4 is 7635.68. When the volume of the square prism and

4 rectangular prism are added together, the volume of the cuboctahedron is 19088.586 cm3 , te

same as the first method.

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Case 3

The final way to make a cuboctahedron is to use tetrahedrons and pyramids with a square

base, to form the cubo.

Figure 11. Net of the Tetrahedron

In the image about, the tetrahedron is made up of four equilateral triangles. Meaning that

all the sides would be 14.2 √2 cm, because that is one side of the square face of the cubo. To find

the height of each triangle, cut the base of one triangle in half to get 7.1 √2 cm. Because the

triangles are equilateral, they are 30, 60, 90 degree triangles, when cut in half. This means that

the lengths of each side is different. The side opposite of the 60 degree angle is always a, in this

case 7.1 √2 cm, multiplied by √3 . Receiving the length of 7.1 √6 cm. This will also act as the

height of the tetrahedron.

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(28.4√3)
The height of the tetrahedron is 3
. This is because when a right triangle is made

using the height of the tetrahedron as a leg, ⅔ of the slant height as a leg, and the complete slant

height as the hypotenuse, the pythagreaon theorem can be used to find the height.

Figure 12. Net of the Square Pyramid

The figure above shows the net of the square pyramid. The side length of the square is

14.2 √2 cm. The triangles surrounding the square are equilateral triangles, meaning the sides are

also the same length. The height of the square pyramid is 14.2cm. The height is 14.2 because

using the pythagorean theorem, a2 + b2 = c2 , and substituting 14.2 √2 as c, and 14.2 as a, 14.2cm

was the final result.

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Volume of Tetrahedron Square Pyramid

Volume = ⅓ * Area of Base * Height Volume = ⅓ * Area of Base * Height

V = ⅓ * (7.1 √6 * 14.2 √2 ) * ((28.4 √3 )/3) Volume = ⅓ * (14.2 √2 * 14.2 √2 ) * 14.2
V = ⅓ * 100.82 √3 * ((28.4 √3 )/3) V = ⅓ * 403.28 * 14.2
V = ⅓ * 2863.288 √9 * ((28.4 √3 )/3) V = ⅓ * 5726.576
V = ⅓ * (8589.864/3) V = 1908.8586
V = 954.4293 1908.8586 * 6 = 11453.152
954.4293 * 8 = 7635.4346
Figure 13. Volumes of Tetrahedrons and Pyramids.

Shown above are how to figure out the volumes of tetrahedrons and pyramids when used

in method 3.

To find the volume of a tetrahedron, the formula is ⅓ times the area of the bas times the

height. The area of the base is ½ multiplied by the base and height. When the values are

substituted in and simplified down, the final result for the area of the base is 100.82 √3. When

this value is multiplied by the height, (28.4 √3 ) divided by three, it comes out as 8589.864/3.

Multiply this by ⅓ to find the volume, and it results in 954.4293 cm3 . Then, this value must be

multiplied by eight since eight tetrahedrons go into making one cuboctahedron, and the result is

7635.4346 cm3 .

To find the volume of the square pyramid, the formula is ⅓ times the area of the base

times the height. When the values for each are substituted in and simplified down, the volume for

one square pyramid is 1908.8586 cm3 . This value has to be multiplied by six since sic square

pyramids go into making one cuboctahedron, and the resulting value is 11453.152.
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Volume of Cuboctahedron

Volume = Volume off 8 Tetrahedrons + Volume of 6 Square Pyramids

V = 7635.4346 + 11453.152
V = 19088.586
Figure 14. Volume of Cuboctahedron.

Shown above is how to find the volume of the cuboctahedron using method 3.

To find the volume of the cuboctahedron, the volume of 8 tetrahedrons and 6 square

pyramids must be used to make up the cuboctahedron. The final volume of the three-dimensional

figure known as the cuboctahedron is 19088.586 cm3 , the value is the same as case 1 and case 2.

Conclusion

In conclusion,the volume of the cuboctahedron is 19,088.586 cm3 for all three methods.

This is because no matter how the figure is put together, it is still the same shape, a

cuboctahedron.When the corners are removed the original cube, case one, then the volume of the

corners are being taken away. When taking a square prism and connecting rectangular prisms,

case two, the volumes are being added. When 8 tetrahedrons and 6 square pyramids are put

together seamlessly to create a cuboctahedron, the volumes, again, are being added. Any of

these ways, the same endpoint is reached, the cuboctahedron. Some problems that were faced

were trying to get the same volume for each case. Although the volume was exact at the end,

getting to that point was difficult. Dealing with simple mistakes, confusing the steps, and

confused minds. Another problem encountered was how precise the nets had to be. Erasing,

drawing, erasing again were big participants in drawing the nets.