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Take one blue unit cube and glue a further blue unit cube to each of its faces (to make a 3D cross).
If you liked this problem, here is an NRICH task which challenges you to use similar mathematical ideas.
Cubic Covering
Age 14 to 16
ShortChallenge Level 
Take one blue unit cube and glue a further blue unit cube to each of its faces (to make a 3D cross).
If unit cubes coloured yellow are now glued face-to-face to all the spare faces of the blue cross, how many yellow unit cubes are required?
If you liked this problem, here is an NRICH task which challenges you to use similar mathematical ideas.
This problem is taken from the UKMT Mathematical Challenges.
You can find more short problems, arranged by curriculum topic, in our short problems collection.
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