NCERT Class 2 Maths (Joyful Mathematics) · Chapter 2
Shapes Around Us
Solid shapes (cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone, sphere) in musical instruments and gift boxes, and their faces, edges, and corners.
📌 What you’ll learn in this chapter
- Names of solid shapes
- Finding shapes in everyday things
- Faces, edges, and corners
🥁 Let’s Begin: The Music Room
In the music room, Ravi sees a dholak (it looks like a cylinder), a matka (round, like a sphere), and a harmonium (a box shape, a cuboid)!
📦 Part 1: Solid Shapes
| Shape | Example | Faces | Edges | Corners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cube | Dice | 6 | 12 | 8 |
| Cuboid | Gift box, brick | 6 | 12 | 8 |
| Cylinder | Drum, glass | 3 (2 flat, 1 curved) | 2 | 0 |
| Cone | Ice-cream cone | 2 (1 flat, 1 curved) | 1 | 1 (the tip) |
| Sphere | Ball | 1 curved | 0 | 0 |
💡 Gift box rule
Decorating a box: 1 star on each face (6), 1 ribbon on each edge (12), and 1 ball on each corner (8).
✏️ Practice Time
Try these on your own first, then check your answer below each question.
Q1. Name a thing that looks like a cylinder.
✅ AnswerFor example, a drum, a glass, or a candle.
Q2. How many corners does a ball have?
✅ Answer0
Q3. Which shape has just 1 corner?
✅ AnswerCone
📘 NCERT Textbook Activity Help
Hints and answers for the activities in the textbook, page by page. Try each one yourself before looking at the answer!
Pages 16–18 · Musical instrumentsSimilar shapes
✅ AnswerLike a drum (cylinder): dholak, tabla, damru parts. Like a matka (round): ghatam, matka. A shehnai is like a cone (it gets wider at one end). A harmonium is a box (cuboid) with flat faces and corners, but a drum has curved sides and no corners. Match each instrument to the solid it looks like.
Pages 19–21 · Decorating shapesStars, ribbons, and balls
✅ AnswerCube and cuboid: 6 stars, 12 ribbons, 8 balls · Cylinder: 3 faces, 2 edges, 0 corners · Cone: 2 faces, 1 edge, 1 corner · Sphere: 1 face, 0 edges, 0 corners
Page 22 · CornersName objects
✅ AnswerOne corner: ice-cream cone, birthday cap, funnel · No corners: ball, orange, glass · Three corners: a triangular sandwich or samosa-shaped flat piece · Eight corners: a box, a dice, a brick.
Project: 4 flat triangles make a pyramid. A ball-like shape (sphere) has one face.
Project: 4 flat triangles make a pyramid. A ball-like shape (sphere) has one face.
👨👩👧 Tips for Parents
- Go on a shape hunt in the kitchen.
- Count the faces, edges, and corners of a matchbox together.
- Make shapes with clay or atta dough.