What Do You Know About The Soma Cube?
Invented by Danish polymath Peit Hein in 1936, the soma cube is a puzzle consisting of mechanically interlinked pieces. The pieces are a combination of four unit cubes to form an inside corner. Take this quiz to test the depth of your knowledge about this puzzle.
Questions and Answers
- 1.
How many pieces make up the soma cube puzzle?
- A.
5
- B.
7
- C.
3
- D.
8
Correct Answer
B. 7Explanation
The soma cube puzzle consists of seven pieces. Each piece is made up of three or four cubes joined together. These pieces can be arranged in various combinations to form a larger cube. Therefore, the correct answer is 7.Rate this question:
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- 2.
What is a solid figure formed by joining one or more equal cubes face to face?
- A.
Cuboid
- B.
Tetraset
- C.
Polycube
- D.
Sphere
Correct Answer
C. PolycubeExplanation
A polycube is a solid figure formed by joining one or more equal cubes face to face. It is a three-dimensional shape that consists of multiple cubes connected together. A cuboid is a different shape that has rectangular faces, while a tetraset and sphere do not involve joining cubes together. Therefore, the correct answer is polycube.Rate this question:
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- 3.
What is the foundation of the soma cube puzzle?
- A.
Imagery
- B.
Parallelism
- C.
Chirality
- D.
Isomerism
Correct Answer
C. ChiralityExplanation
Chirality refers to the property of an object or molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image. In the context of the soma cube puzzle, chirality is the foundation because the puzzle consists of seven different pieces, each of which is a three-dimensional cube made up of smaller cubes. These pieces are asymmetrical and cannot be rotated or flipped to match their mirror image, making chirality a key aspect of solving the puzzle.Rate this question:
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- 4.
A polygon in the plane made of five equal-sized squares connected edge-to-edge is a?
- A.
Pentroxis
- B.
Pentraxete
- C.
Pentomino
- D.
Pentagon
Correct Answer
C. PentominoExplanation
A pentomino is a polygon in the plane made of five equal-sized squares connected edge-to-edge. It is a shape formed by joining five squares together in various arrangements. The options "pentroxis," "pentraxete," and "pentagon" do not accurately describe a polygon made of five equal-sized squares, while "pentomino" specifically refers to this arrangement.Rate this question:
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- 5.
What kind of tiling uses a small set of tile shapes that cannot form a repeating pattern?
- A.
Geometric
- B.
Dimensional
- C.
Aperiodic
- D.
Periodic
Correct Answer
C. AperiodicExplanation
Aperiodic tiling refers to a tiling pattern that cannot form a repeating pattern. Unlike periodic tiling, which consists of tiles that can be repeated infinitely to create a regular pattern, aperiodic tiling uses a small set of tile shapes that cannot be arranged in a repeating manner. This type of tiling is often characterized by complex and irregular patterns, making it unique and non-repetitive.Rate this question:
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- 6.
How many pentacubes make up the Bedlam cube?
- A.
12
- B.
10
- C.
9
- D.
7
Correct Answer
A. 12Explanation
The Bedlam cube is a 4x4x4 cube made up of pentacubes, which are five-unit cubes connected together. To determine the number of pentacubes in the Bedlam cube, we need to count the number of pentacubes that can fit into a 4x4x4 cube. Since each pentacube occupies five units, we divide the total number of units in the 4x4x4 cube (64) by five to get the number of pentacubes. Therefore, the correct answer is 12.Rate this question:
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- 7.
How many dicubes and hexacubes are found in a diabolical cube?
- A.
2,1
- B.
1,1
- C.
2,2
- D.
1,2
Correct Answer
B. 1,1Explanation
A diabolical cube is a three-dimensional puzzle that consists of smaller cubes called dicubes and hexacubes. The answer "1,1" suggests that there is only one dicube and one hexacube found in a diabolical cube. This implies that the diabolical cube is made up of a single dicube and a single hexacube, indicating a simple and straightforward structure.Rate this question:
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- 8.
How many permutations of solutions to the soma cube puzzle exists?
- A.
250
- B.
200
- C.
240
- D.
300
Correct Answer
C. 240Explanation
The correct answer is 240. The soma cube puzzle consists of seven different pieces that can be arranged in various ways to form a 3x3x3 cube. Each piece can be rotated and flipped to create different combinations. By calculating the total number of possible arrangements, it is determined that there are 240 permutations of solutions to the soma cube puzzle.Rate this question:
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- 9.
The world record for the fastest time to solve a soma cube is?
- A.
3.52 seconds
- B.
2.93 seconds
- C.
1.22 seconds
- D.
2 minutes
Correct Answer
B. 2.93 secondsExplanation
The correct answer is 2.93 seconds. This answer represents the fastest time ever recorded for solving a soma cube. It implies that someone was able to solve the puzzle in an incredibly short amount of time, demonstrating exceptional spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills.Rate this question:
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- 10.
When was the eight queens puzzle published?
- A.
1842
- B.
1840
- C.
1848
- D.
1845
Correct Answer
C. 1848Explanation
In 1848, the eight queens puzzle was published.Rate this question:
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