2D Shapes vs. 3D Shapes – Differences & Comparison

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Muhammad Fahad

2D and 3D are two types of shapes of things that exist. The complete form of 2D is the two-dimensional shape we know about the horizontal and vertical axes.

Main Difference

The axes in 2D are known as the x-axis and the y-axis. On the other hand, 3D is a shape that defines three-dimensional shapes. 3D is an abbreviation of three-dimensional that shows the three sides of the body, like height, length, and width, to display 3D shape. We use the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis to show a 3D shape. Let us discuss the main differences between 2D and 3D in detail.

What is 2D?

what are 2d 3d shapes parents

2D is a shape that people use to show two sides, the width, and length of an object. Graphically, 2D is represented by two phones vertically and horizontally. To show the horizontal plane, we use the x-axis. On the other hand, to show the vertical plane, we use the y-axis. Moreover, 2D objects have only width and length. Good examples of 2D shapes are squares and rectangles.

Furthermore, 2D shapes include painting, photography, printing, sketching, drawing, and more. in addition, 2D shapes are also used in 3D shapes. 2D shapes have no depth or height. Also, 2D shapes are two sets of 2 equal sides.

What is 3D?

3d image

3D shapes are those shapes that we use to show an object having three planes—those planes named as x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis. Several planes or surfaces surround 3D shapes. Moreover, 3D shapes are used to represent three sides such as length, width, and height. The other name for 3D shapes is solid shapes. Unlike 2D, it has height or depth. With the help of 3D, people can calculate the volume, TSA, CSA, and more. The most common examples of 3D shapes are cubes, spheres, cuboids, and cones.

Furthermore, the full name of 3D is three-dimensional. In addition, it is highly used in many fields and calculations. The human creature is a well-known example of 3D shapes. To construct a building, 3D is kept in the eye.

Key Differences between 2D and 3D

  1. 2D shapes are two-dimensional shapes, while 3D shapes are three-dimensional shapes.
  2. 2D shapes show length and width, whereas 3D shapes show length, width, and height.
  3. To show 2D shapes, use planes x-axis and y-axis. On the other hand, 3D shapes are used for the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis.
  4. The edges in 2D shapes are visible, while some edges in 3D are hidden.
  5. 2D shapes can quickly draw, while drawing 3D shapes on paper is difficult.

Comparison table between 2D shapes and 3D shapes

Features 2D shapes 3D shapes
Types Two dimensional Three dimensional
Used for Length, width Length, width, height
Axes used x-axis, y-axis x-axis, y-axis, z-axis
View Simple Architectural
Detailing Easy to draw Difficult to draw

Conclusion

In a nutshell, we can say that 2D and 3D are different.

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