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Cuboctahedron Project

Tyler Doral and Renaldo Schmidt

Mr. Acre

IDS/GAT 9A

2 March 2017
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Introduction

A cuboctahedron, or cubo for short, is a polyhedron with 8 equilateral triangle faces and 6 square

faces, formed from a cube in which the corners have been cut off at the midpoints. Though this is not the

only way to form a cuboctahedron. It can also be formed from square prism that is surrounded by 4

rectangular pyramids, or eight tetrahedrons and six regular square pyramids combined together. Either

way it is constructed, there is a way to figure out is volume and surface area, and that is what this paper

will be going through.

Length and Surface Area

Figure 1. Net of the Square Face of the Cube

In Figure 1, above, the dimensions of a face of the cube without the corners cut off at the

midpoints is shown.

First off, the length of an edge of the cubo will be found. This will be accomplished through using

special 45-45-90 right triangle laws. As shown in Figure 1, the length of an edge of the cube is 28.4 cm,

which was cut in half to make 14.2 cm, because the cubo is cut off at the midpoints of the cube. From

here the special 45-45-90 right triangle laws will be used (because a 45-45-90 right triangle is formed

when the midpoints are cut off), which states that the hypotenuse of a 45-45-90 right triangle is root 2

times one of the legs, and this equals out to 14.2 root 2 cm which is one of the edges of the cubo.
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Figure 2. Square Face of the Cubo.

In Figure 2, above, the dimensions of a square face of the cubo is shown.

Figure 3. Triangle Face of the Cubo.

In Figure 3, above, the dimensions of a triangle face of the cubo is shown.

Next, to find the surface area of the cuboctahedron, it is necessary to find the dimensions of the

square face as well as the triangular face of the cubo, of which the square face has already been found,

which is 14.2 root 2 cm. The edge of the triangular face can be found through understanding the

relationship between the square face and the triangular face. So, because they share a side, the length of

the edge of the triangular face is the same as the length of the edge of the square face, which is 14.2 root 2

cm as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, above. The height of the triangular face is found through using

special 30-60-90 right triangle laws. This is accomplished through cutting the base of the triangle in half,

to create a special 30-60-90 right triangle, the short leg being half of an edge of the triangle, which is 7.1
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root 2 cm, and the longer leg being the height of the triangle as shown in Figure 3, above. Now, as the

special 30-60-90 right triangle law states, the longer leg is root 3 times the smaller leg, and since the

smaller leg is known, this can be solved. So since the smaller leg is 7.1 root 2 cm, that multiplied by root

3 cm, equaling out to 7.1 root 6 cm, which is the height of the triangular face.

Now that the dimensions of the square face and the triangular face have been found, the surface

area of the cubo can be found. This is accomplished by inputting the dimensions found into their

respected area formula, and multiplying that by how many of that face there is on the cubo. The area

formula of squares being base times height ( b × h) , and the area formula of triangles being base times

height divided by 2 ( 1/2 b × h) .

Surface Area = 6 (b) (h) Formula to find Surface Area of Square Faces

Surface Area = 6 (14.2√2) (14.2√2) Substitution Property

Surface Area = 1209.84√4 cm2 Multiplication Property

Figure 4. Surface Area of Square Faces

Figure 4, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

total surface area of all the square faces.

Now, the total area of the square faces will be found. This will be done by inputting the

dimensions of the square, as shown in Figure 2, above, into the square area formula as stated earlier,

which looks like ( 14.2√2 × 14.2√2 ), which solves to 201.64√4 cm2 , then this number is then multiplied

by 6 because there are 6 square cubo faces, equaling out to 1209.84√4 cm2 , which is the surface area of

all of the square faces.

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Surface Area = 8 (1/2) (b) (h) Formula to find Surface Area of Triangles Faces

Surface Area = 8 (1/2) (14.2√2) (7.1√6) Substitution Property

Surface Area = 403.28√12 cm2 Multiplication Property

Figure 5. Surface Area of Triangle Faces

Figure 5, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

total surface area of all the triangular faces.

Next, the total surface area of the triangular faces will be found. This is done by inputting the

dimensions of the triangle, as shown in Figure 3, above, into the triangle area formula, which looks like (

1/2 (14.2√2) × (7.1√6) . Once this is solved it equals 50.41√12 cm2 , which is then multiplied by 8,

because there are 8 triangular faces on the cubo, equating to 403.28√12 cm2 , which is the total surface

area of all of the triangular faces.

TSA = Surface Area of Square faces + Surface Formula to find Surface Area of Cuboctahedron
Area of Triangle Faces

TSA = 1209.84√4 + 403.28√12 Substitution Property

TSA = 1209.84√4 + 403.28√12 cm2 Addition Property

Figure 6. Total Surface Area of the Cuboctahedron

Figure 6, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

total surface area of the cuboctahedron.

Lastly, to find the total surface area of the cubo, the total surface area of the square faces needs to

be added to the total surface area of the triangular faces, which looks like 1209.84√4 + 403.28√12 ,

equating to a total surface area for the cubo being 1209.84√4 + 403.28√12 cm2 .
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Corner Pyramid

Now that the surface area of the cubo has been found, the focus is going to shift towards the

volume of the cubo. This is going to be found through finding the volume of the corner pyramids that

have been cut off at the midpoints of the original cube, then subtracting that from the volume of the

original cube.

Figure 7. Net of the Corner Pyramid

Figure 7, above, shows the dimensions of the net of a corner pyramid that has been cut off of the

original cube at the midpoints.

So, to start, the volume of the corner pyramids will be found. This is done by finding the

dimensions of the net of the corner pyramid, then inputting those dimensions into the volume formula for

pyramids. The equilateral triangle is found through analysing the relationship between it and the triangle

face of the cubo. Since the triangle face of the cubo is where the corner pyramid has been cut off, that

means that the equilateral base of the corner pyramid has the same dimensions as the triangular face of the

cubo, which is an edge of 14.2 root 2 cm and a height of 7.1 root 6 cm. The three outer special 45-45-90

right triangles have bases of 14.2 root 2 cm because they share their base with the edge of the equilateral

triangle, which is 14.2 root 2 cm as stated earlier. The legs of the outer special 45-45-90 right triangles are

found out through the fact that the legs make up half of the length of the edges of the original cube,

because they were cut off at the midpoints of the edges. The lengths of the edges of the original cube are
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28.4 cm, and half of that is 14.2 cm, which is the length of the legs of the outer special 45-45-90 right

triangles as shown in Figure 7, above. The height of the corner pyramid is 14.2 cm because if one of the

outer special 45-45-90 right triangles are used as the base of the pyramid, then the length of one of their

legs becomes the height of the pyramid. Next, the area of the base of the pyramid, which is one of the

outer special 45-45-90 right triangles, is found through inputting the base of the outer special 45-45-90

right triangle and the height of the outer special 45-45-90 right triangle into the area formula of triangles (

1/2 b × h) . This should end up looking like ( 1/2 (14.2√2) (7.1√2) ), which solves out to 50.41√4 cm2 ,

which is the area of one of the outer special 45-45-90 right triangles.

V = 1/3 (area of base) (h) Formula for the Volume of the Corner Pyramid

V = 1/3 (50.41√4) (14.2) Substitution Property

V = 238.607√4 cm3 Multiplication Property

Figure 8. Volume of the Corner Pyramid

Figure 8, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of a corner pyramid.

Next, the volume of the corner pyramids will be found. This will be accomplished through

inputting the dimensions found in the net of the corner pyramid into the volume formula for pyramids,

which is ( 1/3 (area of base) (h) ). So once the numbers are inputted, the formula should look like (

1/3 (50.41√4) (14.2) ). This solves out to 238.607√4 cm3 , which is the volume of one corner pyramid.
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V = (l) (w) (h) Formula for the Volume of the Original Cube

V = (28.4) (28.4) (28.4) Substitution Property

V = 22906.3 cm3 Multiplication Property

Figure 9. Volume of the Original Cube

Figure 9, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the original cube.

Now, the volume of the cubo will be found using the corner pyramids. This is done by finding the

volume of the original cube, and subtracting from it the total volume of all of the corner pyramids. First

the volume of the corner pyramid will be found by inputting the edges of the original cube into the

volume formula of cubes ( (l) (w) (h) ) . After the edges of the original cube are inputted, it should look

like ( (28.4) (28.4) (28.4) ) , and after solving it should equal 22906.3 cm3 , which is the volume of the

original cube. Next, the total volume off all of the corner pyramids will be found. This is done by

multiplying the volume of one corner pyramids ( 238.607√4 cm3 ) by 8, which equals 1908.86√4 cm3 .

V = Volume of the Original Cube - 8 (Volume of Formula for Volume of Cuboctahedron Using
a Corner Pyramid) Corner Pyramids

V = ( 22906.3 ) - 8 ( 238.607√4 ) Substitution Property

V = ( 22906.3 ) - ( 1908.86√4 ) Multiplication Property

V = ( 22906.3 ) - ( 1908.86√4 ) cm3 Subtraction Property

Figure 10. Volume of Cuboctahedron

Figure 10, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the cubo using the corner pyramids.

Square Prism and Rectangular Pyramid.

Now that the volume of the cubo has been found using the corner pyramids, the volume will be

found using the square prism and rectangular pyramid. This is achieved by adding the volume of the

square prism and 4 rectangular pyramids.

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Figure 11. Net of the Square Prism.

In Figure 11, above, the dimensions of the net for the square prism is shown.

First off, the dimensions of the nets of the square prism and the rectangular pyramid will be

found. Starting off with the square prism, the height is 28.4 cm, because the square prism has the same

height as the original cube. The length and width are found through analyzing the relationship between

the bases of the prism, with the square face of the cubo. Since the square face of the cubo and the bases

share the same face, their dimensions are also the same. So that means that the length and width of the

square prism is 14.2 root 2 cm as shown in Figure 11, above.

Figure 12. Net of the Rectangular Pyramid.

In Figure 12, above, the dimensions of the net of the rectangular pyramid is shown.
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Now the dimensions of the rectangular pyramid will be found. The length and width of the base

of the pyramid is found through analysing the relationship between the base of it and one of the lateral

sides of the square prism. Since the base of the rectangular pyramid a lateral side of the square prism

share a face, they also share dimensions. So the length of the base is 28.4 cm, and the width of the base is

14.2 root 2 cm. This means that the area of the base is 403.28 √2 cm2 , because when the length and the

width is inputted into the formula for the area of a rectangle ( (l) (w) ), the outcome is ( (28.4) (14.2√2) ),

which equals 403.28 √2 cm2 . The triangles on the outside all have lengths of 14.2 root 2 cm because they

all share an edge with the square faces of the cubo, which is 14.2 root 2 cm. The height of the pyramid

was found through using special 30-60-90 right triangle laws, and pythagoras's theorem. Since the top and

bottom triangles are equilateral, if they are cut in half by a median, a special 30-60-90 right triangle is

created, and with that the height of that triangle could be found. So once the equilateral triangle is cut in

half, there is a special 30-60-90 right triangle with a short leg of 7.1 root 2 cm, and with that the longer

leg (which is the height of the triangle) could be found, using the law of special 30-60-90 right triangles

which states that the longer leg is root 3 times the shorter leg, which once the math is done equals the

height of 7.1 root 6 cm for the equilateral triangle. Also from the base of the top triangle to the middle of

the pyramid is 14.2 cm because it is half of 28.4, and this is because the middle of the pyramid is halfway

in between the top triangle base to the bottom triangle base. Now with this length and the height of the top

triangle, the height of the pyramid can be found using pythagoras theorem ( a2 + b2 = c2 ). This is possible

by inputting the height of the top triangle into the c variable, and inputting the length of halfway from the

top triangle base to the bottom triangle base as either the a or b variable. This should end up looking like (
2
14.22 + b2 = 7.1√6 ), and once solved should equal √100.82 cm, which is the height of the pyramid.

Now that the dimensions in the nets have been explained, the volumes of the square prism and the

rectangular pyramid will be found. This will be done by inputting the dimensions found in the nets into

the respective volume formula.

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V = (l) (w) (h) Formula for the Volume of the Square Prism

V = (14.2√2) (14.2√2) (28.4) Supbstitution Property

V = 5726.58√4 cm3 Multiplication Property

Figure 13. Volume of the Square Prism

Figure 13, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the square prism.

For the square prism the volume formula is ( (l) (w) (h) ), and once length width and height are

inputted, it should look like ( (14.2√2) (14.2√2) (28.4) ), which once solved equals 5726.58√4 cm3 , the

volume of the square prism.

V = 1/3 (area of base) (height) Formula for the Volume of the Rectangular
Pyramid

V = 1/3 (403.28√2) (√100.82 Substitution Property

V = 403.28/3√201.64 cm3 Multiplication Property

Figure 14. Volume of the Rectangular Pyramid

Figure 14, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the rectangular pyramid.

Now, the volume of the rectangular pyramids will be found. The volume formula for pyramids is

( 1/3 (area of the base) (height) ), and once the area of the base and the height of the pyramid are inputted,

it should look like ( 1/3 (403.28√2) (√100.82 ) , which once solved equals 403.28/3√201.64 cm3 .

V= Formula for the Volume of the

(volume of square prism) + 4 (volume of rectangular pyramid) Cubo
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V = (5726.58√4) + 4 (403.28/3√201.64) Substitution Property

V = (5726.58√4) + 4 (403.28/3√201.64 )cm3 Multiplication Property

Figure 15. Volume of the Cubo Using the Rectangular Pyramid and Square Prism Method

Figure 15, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the cubo using the square prism and rectangular pyramid method.

Now that both of the volumes have been found, the volume of the cubo can be found. This is done

through adding the volume of one square prism and 4 rectangular pyramids. The formula should look like

( (volume of square prism) + 4 (volume of rectangular pyramid) ), once the numbers are inputted, it

should look like ( (5726.58√4) + 4 (403.28/3√201.64) ), once solved, it equals (

(5726.58√4) + 4 (403.28/3√201.64 )cm3 ) the volume of the cubo.

Tetrahedron and Square Pyramid

Lastly, the volume of the cubo will be found through using tetrahedrons and square pyramids.

This is going to be achieved by finding the volume of the 8 tetrahedrons and the 6 square pyramids, and

adding them together. First the dimensions shown in the nets will be explained.

Figure 16. Net of the Tetrahedron.

Figure 16, above, shows the dimensions of the net of the tetrahedron.

First, the dimensions of the tetrahedron will be explained. The edges of the tetrahedron is found

through the relationship of the base of the tetrahedron and the triangular face of the cubo. The base of the
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tetrahedron and the triangular face of the cubo are the same, so their measurements are also the same, so

this means that a base edge is equal to 14.2 root 2 cm because the edge of the triangular face is 14.2 root 2

cm, and all the rest of the edges are 14.2 root 2 because each edge is the same in a tetrahedron. The height

of the pyramid was found through using special 30-60-90 right triangle laws, and pythagoras's theorem.

Since the top and bottom triangles are equilateral, if they are cut in half by a median, a special 30-60-90

right triangle is created, and with that the height of that triangle could be found. So once the equilateral

triangle is cut in half, there is a special 30-60-90 right triangle with a short leg of 7.1 root 2 cm, and with

that the longer leg (which is the height of the triangle) could be found, using the law of special 30-60-90

right triangles which states that the longer leg is root 3 times the shorter leg, which once the math is done

equals the height of 7.1 root 6 cm for the equilateral triangle. The middle of the base of one of the outer

triangles to the center of the base triangle is 1/3 7.1√6 cm. So now with this length and the height of the

top triangle, the height of the pyramid can be found using pythagoras theorem ( a2 + b2 = c2 ). This is

possible by inputting the height of the top triangle into the c variable, and inputting the length of the

middle of the base of one of the outer triangles to the center of the base triangle as either the a or b
2 2
variable. This should end up looking like ( 1/3 7.1√6 + b2 = 7.1√6 ), and once solved should equal

√302.46 − (1/9 302.46) cm , which is the height of the pyramid.

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Figure 17. Net of the Square Pyramid

Figure 17, above, shows the dimensions of the net of the square pyramid.

Now the square pyramids measurements will be explained. The length and width of the square

base can be found by looking at the relationship between the square base and a square face of the cubo.

Since the square base and a square face of the cubo share the same face, the measurements are the same.

So since the length and width of the square face of the cubo is 14.2 root 2 cm, so is the square base of the

square pyramid. The outer edges are also 14.2 root 2 cm because they share a side with the tetrahedron,

who as a edge length of 14.2 root cm. The height of the pyramid is 14.2 cm because it goes halfway into

the cubo, and the full length is 28.4 cm.

Now the volumes of the tetrahedron and the square pyramid will be found. First will be the

tetrahedron.

V = 1/3 (area of base) (height) Formula for the Volume of the Tetrahedron

V = (1/3 (50.41√12) (√302.46 − (1/9 302.46 ) Substitution Property

V= Multiplication Property
(1/3 (50.41√12) (√302.46 − (1/9 302.46)cm3 )
Figure 18. Volume of the Tetrahedron.

Figure 18, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the tetrahedron.

First the area of the base needs to be found, and the formula for the base of a triangle is (

1/2 (b) (h) ), so once the numbers are inputted, it comes out as ( 1/2 (14.2√2) (7.1√6 ), which when the
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math is done equals 50.41 √12 , which is the area of the base of the tetrahedron. Now the volume of the

tetrahedron will be found by using this formula ( 1/3 (area of base) (height) ). Filling the numbers into

this formula gives out (1/3 (50.41√12) (√302.46 − (1/9 302.46) ) , and once the math is done

(1/3 (50.41√12) (√302.46 − (1/9 302.46)cm3 )

V = 1/3 (area of base) (height) Formula for the Volume of the Square Pyramid

V = (1/3 (201.64√4) (14.2) Substitution Property

V = (1/3 (2863.29√4)cm3 Multiplication Property

Figure 19. Volume of the Square Pyramid.

Figure 19, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the square pyramid.

Now the volume of the square pyramid will be figured out. The area of the base is found by using

this formula ( (l) (w) ), and once that is filled it, it looks like ( (14.2√2) (14.2√2) ), which equals

201.64√4 . Now this will be inputted into the volume formula for pyramids, which is (

1/3 (area of base) (height) ). Once those numbers are filled in, it goes to (1/3 (201.64√4) (14.2) , and

once all the math is done, it equals (1/3 (2863.29√4)cm3

V = 8 (volume of tetrahedron) + 6 (volume of square pyramid) Formula for the Volume of

the Cubo

V = 8 ((1/3 (50.41√12) (√302.46 − (1/9 302.46) Substitution Property

+ 6 ((1/3 (201.64√4) (14.2)

V = 8 ((1/3 (50.41√12) (√302.46 − (1/9 302.46) Multiplication Property

+ 6 ((1/3 (201.64√4) (14.2)cm2
Figure 20. Volume of the Cubo Using the Tetrahedron and Square Pyramid Method
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Figure 20, above, shows the formula and the property that gets carried through in order to find the

volume of the cubo using the tetrahedron and square pyramid method.

Now that the volumes of the tetrahedron and the square pyramid have been found, the volume of

the cubo can be found. This is done by multiplying the volume of the tetrahedron by 8 and adding it to 6

times the volume of the square pyramid.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are three different ways to find the volume of a tetrahedron, and all three

have been discussed and explained in this paper. Also all three ended up in the same result because they

are all the volume of the same shape. If they were not the same measurement then that means that

something went wrong.

Works Cited

Whittaker, Robert. "The Cuboctahedron." The Cuboctahedron. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.