Concept 8 of 9
Dice: Opposite Faces Add to 7
Today's big idea
Opposite faces of a standard dice add to 7, so one face always gives you the other.
Three facing pairs, 1 with 6, 2 with 5 and 3 with 4, each adding to 7.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
Pick up any ordinary dice and look at two faces opposite each other. Add them together. Do it again with a different pair, and you land on the same total every time.
💡 Here's the trick
On a standard dice, opposite faces always add up to 7. So 1 faces 6, 2 faces 5, and 3 faces 4. Knowing one face of a pair hands you the other, by taking it away from 7.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Find the face the question is actually asking about in the picture above.
- 2.Read the number on the face opposite that one.
- 3.Take that number away from 7.
✍️ Try it
A dice shows 4 on top. What is on the bottom? That same dice shows 2 at the front. What is at the back?
The bottom is 7 take away 4, which is 3. The back is 7 take away 2, which is 5.
⚠️ Watch out
Read which face is being asked for before you subtract anything. Say a dice shows 3 on top and 1 at the front. If the question wants the back, the answer comes from the 1 and not from the 3. Answering 4 there is the commonest slip of all.
🌟 Why this matters
You meet this in every board game you play with a dice. It is what lets you say which number is underneath without ever lifting it up. Anyone who has argued over a roll has checked it the same way.
Exam tip: Dice questions hand you more numbers than you need, so work out which pair the question is about before you do any arithmetic.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“A dice shows 5 on top. What number is on the bottom face?”
- 1
Recall the rule
On a dice, opposite faces always add to 7. 🎲
- 2
Subtract from 7
7 − 5 = 2
- 3
Answer ✓
bottom = 2
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
On a standard dice, opposite faces add to 7 (1↔6 · 2↔5 · 3↔4). Bottom = 7 − top.
DICE · ROUND 1 OF 3
Your turn: 7 − 2 = ? (the bottom face)
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
A dice shows 2 on top and 6 at the front. What number is on the BOTTOM face?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Spot the Odd Figure
A turn hides from every count, so check facing second.