Plans and elevations
Edexcel 1MA1 tests this on Paper 1F and 1H typically. Pupils are given a 3D shape (often built from cubes) and asked to draw its plan and elevations, or to reconstruct the solid from views.
📖Definition— Definitions
- Plan view: looking straight down on the solid (top-down).
- Front elevation: looking at it from the front.
- Side elevation: looking at it from one side (usually labelled left or right on the diagram).
Drawing rules
- Use squared paper, with one square per cube unit.
- Show only what is visible from that direction — no hidden lines, no perspective, no depth.
- Outline must be a single closed shape.
- Internal "join" lines should be drawn where two faces meet at different depths.
✦Worked example
A solid made from 4 cubes: 3 in a row at the bottom, 1 cube stacked on the leftmost.
- Plan: 3 squares in a row (the top of each cube viewed from above).
- Front elevation: an "L" shape — 3 squares wide, 1 tall, with an extra square stacked on the leftmost.
- Side elevation: a 1-wide column 2 squares tall (looking from the left side, the stacked cube hides the rest).
Reconstructing from views
When given the three views:
- The plan tells you the footprint.
- The front elevation tells you the heights at each column position from the front.
- The side elevation tells you the heights at each column position from the side.
- Cross-reference to determine cube counts at each grid square.
Common Edexcel mark-scheme phrasing
- B1 each for plan / front / side elevation drawn correctly.
- M1 for "outline" correct, A1 for "internal lines / joins" correct.
- B1 for accurate dimensions.
⚠Common mistakes— Common errors
- Drawing a perspective view instead of a flat 2D projection.
- Forgetting to mark internal join lines where face depths change.
- Mixing up front and side elevations (always check which direction the arrow on the diagram points).
- Drawing the side elevation as a mirror of the front (they are usually different).
AI-generated · claude-opus-4-7 · v3-edexcel-maths-leaves