Follow a rolling cube

Track the faces one quarter-turn at a time, even when the path changes direction.

Move the faces with the cube

Each roll tips the cube onto a neighboring square, turning it 90°. The letters stay on their faces. The net shows all six starting positions: A on top, B underneath, C north, D east, E south and F west.

Roll east once: the west face F rises to the top, and the top face A moves to the east side. North and south stay in place. Keep the map fixed: north is up, east is right, and front always means the south side. In the cube drawings, the front face appears on the left.

NorthCWestFTopAEastDSouthEBottomB
All six faces before any rolls.
FEA
East once: F rises to the top.

Roll north, then east

Start again from the net. Roll north: the south face E rises to the top, and the bottom face B moves to the front (south). The east face D stays in place.

Now roll east from that position. The west face F rises to the top, and E moves east. The front face stays B. After these two rolls, F is on top and B is at the front.

NorthCWestFTopAEastDSouthEBottomB
All six faces before any rolls.
EBD
1. North: top E, front B.
FBE
2. East: top F, front B.

Follow a different route

Start again from the six positions shown. This time, roll east once and then south once. Follow the two arrows in order.

Which letter ends on the front face? Front still means south, regardless of the direction of travel. Track both rolls before choosing.

NorthCWestFTopAEastDSouthEBottomB
All six faces before any rolls.
North12
1. East. 2. South.

Try it

After rolling east, then south, which letter is on the front (south) face?

  1. E
  2. F
Show the answer

F

Correct. The east roll puts F on top. The south roll then moves that top face to the front (south), so F is the answer.

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