A 3x3 Rubik's Cube is a 3-dimensional puzzle consisting of 26 smaller cubes (or "cubies") arranged in a 3x3 grid on each of its six faces. Each face of the cube is made up of 9 cubies, and the entire cube can rotate around its central axis in three different dimensions.
Key Features:
Colors: Typically, each of the six faces is colored differently (white, yellow, red, blue, green, orange), and the goal of the puzzle is to return the cube to a state where each face consists of a single, uniform color.
Structure: There is a fixed core inside, which holds all cubies together. There are:
Center cubies: 6 center pieces (one per face), which each have one color and are fixed in place.
Edge cubies: 12 edge pieces, each having two colored stickers.
Corner cubies: 8 corner pieces, each having three colored stickers.
Rotation: The cube's layers can be rotated around the X, Y, or Z axis. Players manipulate these layers to scramble or solve the puzzle by aligning all colors on each face.
Solving the cube requires aligning all of the colored stickers so that each face of the cube is a single, solid color.