Solid Shadow
Solid Shadow
How can a three-dimensional solid make a flat shape? A shadow forms when an object blocks light. Its outline depends on the solid’s shape, its position, and the direction of the light. This free interactive geometry tool lets students explore shadows cast by a cube, cylinder, cone, sphere, and square pyramid.
Explore 3D Shapes and 2D Shadows
Rotating a solid can change its shadow even though the solid itself stays the same. A cube can cast a square, rectangle, or hexagon. A cylinder can produce a circular or rectangular shadow, while a cone can produce a circle or triangle when positioned appropriately. Different solids can also cast similar shadows, so a shadow alone may not identify the object that made it.
Comparing solids with their shadows helps students connect three-dimensional objects with two-dimensional shapes. Encourage children to describe straight and curved boundaries, count corners, and predict how a shadow will change before turning the solid.
How to Use Solid Shadow
Select a solid on the left. Drag the large shape to rotate it, or use the Tilt solid and Turn solid sliders. The light stays fixed while the shadow updates. Compare the shadow beneath the solid with the separate flat view below it.
Try finding several different shadows for one solid. Can two different solids make similar shadows? Which solid keeps the same shadow shape as you rotate it?
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