Weird PAT Cubes - Help!

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wowyourecool

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I'm usually really good with cubes, but these ones make no sense to me.
Good thing I took this right now since my DAT is tmrw! Please help explain since Achiever has no explanations.

they seem normal to me? Are you getting tricked by the illusion of misplacement?
 
I'm sorry, but whoever drew these cube questions is a massive *****.

1. Two boxes that are drawn in the 1st picture are not there - they are frames. Not allowed on the DAT.
2. Another 2 boxes drawn on #2 are also not there - again, "frames".
3. Diagonals exist in these cube drawings - you will never see diagonals on the real DAT/good practice tests, at least not in the MIDDLE of a cube (diagonals representing sides/corners are fine).
4. Although portions of #2 and all of #3 are drawn correctly, never will you see "hovering" cubes on the test. ADA specifically states all boxes stacked and not immediately visible will have a base. Figure F clearly has a double level cube stack near the back, however the outline of the box below it should have been drawn out. The "hovering" attachment in front of it, although correct, doesn't show up on DAT tests.

EDIT: Ignore me, I'm the massive ***** LOL. Too early in the day >.<
 
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The reason I'm confused is because they seem to be hovering in mid-air. Except it's actually because we're viewing the figure from a different perspective. However, I'm having trouble with being able to count the cubes when represented in this way. There is also one problem like this in CDP if I remember correctly.

You will never see anything like figure F, but I myself got "hovering, hidden" cubes on my DAT. Look at them until you figure out where they go, they clearly cant be flying so just force yourself to see where they fit and then stat counting from that area.
A good technique one fellow predent suggested was instead of tally method you just write out the number of the cubes w/o takign your eyes off screen, then when counting just circle the numbers together and BANG!

These are really not difficult at all once you get them down,
 
Screen%20Shot%202013-08-07%20at%2010_44_15%20AM.png

Screen%20Shot%202013-08-07%20at%2010_44_19%20AM.png

Hope this helps. I did the count and color coded the cubes for you. The perspectives are tricky, but if you stick to their rules about cubes having to touch other cubes and that a cube has to support another cube if it is positioned above the bottom tier, then you should be able to make out the overall layout. I think the color coding helps with this.

I did not make one for figure F. I think the author of that one made a mistake with connecting the left set of cubes with the set in the back, but I could be wrong.
 
View attachment 24686

View attachment 24687

Hope this helps. I did the count and color coded the cubes for you. The perspectives are tricky, but if you stick to their rules about cubes having to touch other cubes and that a cube has to support another cube if it is positioned above the bottom tier, then you should be able to make out the overall layout. I think the color coding helps with this.

I did not make one for figure F. I think the author of that one made a mistake with connecting the left set of cubes with the set in the back, but I could be wrong.

Where would the second blue square be hidden in Figure C? I only found the one in the top left

EDIT I found it. It's underneath the orange square in the middle haha
 
I'm still confused. So in Figure C, what's going on with those two green cubes? How can they both have 4 sides?

What does it mean when you can see the edge through the cube...if that makes sense?

Also, answer says that there are 5 4-sided cubes in B

The one in the middle layer (if you go from top to bottom) has 4 sides since all 4 equatorial sides (going around it) are exposed. The one in the corner (on the bottom layer) has 4 sides because the top and three of the sides are exposed. Only one of the sides (the one attached to the other cube) and the bottom are not exposed.

And by "edge of the cube", I'm pretty sure you're confusing the edge of the green cube in the middle layer as on the same face as the green cube on the bottom layer. If you look closer, you'll see the edge of the cube of the middle layer is actually vertical, and thus doesn't go "through" the bottom cube at all

BTW El Dentistador...great color-coding setup 👍
 
I'm still confused. So in Figure C, what's going on with those two green cubes? How can they both have 4 sides?

What does it mean when you can see the edge through the cube...if that makes sense?

Also, answer says that there are 5 4-sided cubes in B

Screen%20Shot%202013-08-07%20at%2010_44_15%20AM.png

Here is a corrected copy. I did make a mistake.
 
Thanks El Dentistador and TuftsKid for the explanations! They were extremely helpful. I had to look at the figures for a while, but once I finally saw it, it all made sense.

Great! I am glad 🙂

Be sure to give your brain some rest though!

Hope you knock out some good scores on your test tomorrow 🙂
 
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