Platonic Solids Exploration

Objective: Learn to identify the Platonic solids, and discover some of their properties.

1. Look at Escher’s Reptiles (Magic of M.C. Escher #307). What platonic solid is the focal point of this picture?
2. Look at Escher’s Crystal (Magic of M.C. Escher #170). It is built out of two intersecting platonic solids. Which two are they?
3. Look at Dali’s The Last Supper. What platonic solid forms the window?
4. Fill out the following table:

   Shape	# of vertices	# of edges	# of faces
   Tetrahedron
   Cube
   Octahedron
   Dodecahedron
   Icosahedron

   Using paper models will be helpful. You can also use this applet to count, by holding down Shift and clicking the various parts of the solid.
5. Find mathematical patterns in the table.

Handin: A sheet with answers to all questions.