There are 5 platonic
solids as shown below. Each are made up of equal faces of either triangles,
squares, or pentagons.
The minimum number of sides that a 2 dimensional area or surface can have that forms a "face" is 3, forming a triangle. When all of the 3 sides are the same length, the triangle is called an equilateral triangle.
The minimal number of faces that a 3 dimensional solid can is 4. When all of the 4 faces are equilateral triangles, then the solid is a tetrahedron.
When the 2 dimensional area has 4 sides of the same length, it is called a square.
When all of the 4 faces are squares, then the solid is a cube.
When a solid is made from 4 faces, and the 4 faces are 3 equilateral triangles and a square, then the solid forms a pyramid with a square base. When 2 pyramids are connected base to base, then the solid formed has 4 equilateral triangle faces on either side of a square in the middle of the solid.
This 8 sided solid made from 8 equilateral triangles of the same size is called an octahedron.
When the faces are formed from 5 equal sides, the area is called a pentagon.
When 12 pentagons of equal size are connected together, the solid formed is called a dodecahedron.
When 20 equilateral triangles of equal size are connected together, the solid formed is called an icosahadron.
When the faces are formed from 6 equal sides, the are is called a hexagon. When hexagons of equal size are connected together, they form a plane surface.
The 5 platonic solids, the tetrahedron, the cube, the octahedron, and the dodecahedron, and the icosahedron are found in diamond crystals and other structures made from carbon atoms. But they are very difficult to see and find. CHONX STIX pieces representing the carbon atom can be connected together to form platonic solids that can be then studied in detail.
The minimum number of sides that a 2 dimensional area or surface can have that forms a "face" is 3, forming a triangle. When all of the 3 sides are the same length, the triangle is called an equilateral triangle.
The minimal number of faces that a 3 dimensional solid can is 4. When all of the 4 faces are equilateral triangles, then the solid is a tetrahedron.
When the 2 dimensional area has 4 sides of the same length, it is called a square.
When all of the 4 faces are squares, then the solid is a cube.
When a solid is made from 4 faces, and the 4 faces are 3 equilateral triangles and a square, then the solid forms a pyramid with a square base. When 2 pyramids are connected base to base, then the solid formed has 4 equilateral triangle faces on either side of a square in the middle of the solid.
This 8 sided solid made from 8 equilateral triangles of the same size is called an octahedron.
When the faces are formed from 5 equal sides, the area is called a pentagon.
When 12 pentagons of equal size are connected together, the solid formed is called a dodecahedron.
When 20 equilateral triangles of equal size are connected together, the solid formed is called an icosahadron.
When the faces are formed from 6 equal sides, the are is called a hexagon. When hexagons of equal size are connected together, they form a plane surface.
The 5 platonic solids, the tetrahedron, the cube, the octahedron, and the dodecahedron, and the icosahedron are found in diamond crystals and other structures made from carbon atoms. But they are very difficult to see and find. CHONX STIX pieces representing the carbon atom can be connected together to form platonic solids that can be then studied in detail.
Carbon atoms form bonds with other carbon atoms as if they had a tetrahedron shape. When the carbon atoms line up in a particular way, a diamond crystal is formed. 3 platonic solids can be found within the diamond crystal - tetrahedrons, octahedrons and cubes. 4 tetrahedrons surrounding an octahedron forms a larger tetrahedron. The 6 verticises of an octahedron are located at the center of the 6 square faces of a cube. 4 opposite verticises or corners of a cube form the 4 corners of a tetrahedron. Below, the cell structure of the diamond crystal can be seen as it evolves from one single carbon atom with the tetrahedral shape, to 4 carbon atoms forming a tetrahedral shape to 10 carbon atoms forming the octahedral shape that evolves into the cube.