Perimeter of Cube

The word perimeter is associated with 2-dimensional shapes, such as a triangle, square, or circle. So it is difficult for us to relate the word with a 3-dimensional object such as a cube. However, looking at a cube, we can say that it is a collection of 2-d shapes since each of its 6 sides is a square. A square is a 2-D shape that has a perimeter 4 times its sides. As we know, a cube has 6 identical squares and 12 identical edges; we can consider its perimeter as the total sum of all its edges.
Since the edge is a linear quantity, we express the perimeter of a cube in linear parameters such as mm, cm, m, in, or ft.

Formula

The formula is:

Solved Examples

Find the perimeter of a 4×4 cube.

Solution:

As we know,
Perimeter (P) = 12a, here a = 4 units
∴ P = 12 × 4
= 48 units

Calculate the perimeter of a cube with a side length of 5 cm

Solution:

As we know side length of a cube is its edge,
Perimeter (P) = 12a, here a = 5 cm
∴ P = 12 × 5
= 60 cm

What is the length of a cube’s sides with a perimeter of 144 mm?

Solution:

As we know side length of a cube is its edge,
∵ P = 12a,
${\therefore a=\dfrac{P}{12}}$, here P = 144 mm
${\therefore a=\dfrac{144}{12}}$
= 12 mm