The six face letters
One letter names one face. U is the up face, D is down, L is left, R is right, F is front and B is back. The drawing shows a solved cube from the front, above and the right, so U, F and R are the three faces you can see.
A plain letter turns that face a quarter turn clockwise as you look straight at it. A prime mark turns it a quarter turn the other way, so R is clockwise and R prime is counter-clockwise. A 2 turns the face half way round, and F2 lands in the same place whichever way you turn it.
Apply U, then R
Start from the solved cube and make U. The top face turns a quarter turn clockwise as you look down at it, so the top row of the right face comes round to the front. The front face now shows a red top row, and the right face shows a blue one from the back.
Now make R. The right face turns a quarter turn clockwise as you look at it from the right, so the right column of the front face moves up to the top.
One move from solved
Start from a solved cube again: white up, green in front, red on the right, and blue on the back face you cannot see.
Make one U move, then look at the top row of the front face. Work out which face that row came from before you choose.
Try it
After one U move on a solved cube, which color is on the top row of the front face?
- Blue
- Red
Show the answer
Red
Correct. U turns the top face clockwise as you look down at it, so the top row of the right face comes round to the front, and the right face is red.
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