FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

A four-sided space figure with each face being a triangle is known as a tetrahedron. A tetrahedron has four triangular faces, four vertices, and six edges. It is one of the simplest three-dimensional shapes and is part of a family of polyhedra known as the simplices. The tetrahedron's structure allows it to enclose space effectively while maintaining the triangular shape in all its faces. This geometric property makes it important in various fields, including chemistry, where molecular shapes can resemble tetrahedral formations, and in architecture for creating stable structures. In comparison, a hexagon is a two-dimensional shape with six sides, a cube is a three-dimensional figure with square faces, and a pyramid generally has a polygonal base and triangular faces that converge at a single point (the apex) above the base. Each of these shapes has distinct characteristics that differentiate them from a tetrahedron.