The Most Effective Way to Solve a Rubik’s Cube
Photo by neotam on Pixabay
The Rubik’s Cube is the world’s best-selling puzzle and with good reason. It’s challenging, complicated, and addictive – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be easy too! If you have never solved a Rubik’s Cube before, or if you once knew how to solve one but have since forgotten, read on for our beginner’s guide on how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. We’ve also got more brain-bending puzzles like the 15-puzzle, labyrinth and codebreaker puzzles. If you want to test your mental agility even further, we recommend looking at our logic puzzles section for fiendishly tricky brain teasers.
What is a Rubik’s Cube?
The Rubik’s Cube is a puzzle game invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik, a Hungarian professor of architecture. The puzzle is a cube made up of 9 smaller cubes, with each of the 9 cubes rotating around an axis that runs through their center. For each of the sides of the cube, there are eight different colors, with each color repeated on each side. The key goal of the puzzle is to arrange all 9 cubes to have each side of the cube be a single color. The puzzle comes in many different variations, including the standard 3×3 cube, the 4×4 cube, the 5×5 cube, the 6×6 cube, and even larger cubes such as the 7×7 and the 10×10 cube.
How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube: A Step-by-Step Guide
The first thing you need to do is understand the different parts of the Rubik’s Cube. The cube has 9 smaller cubes inside of it (the center structure), and each of those cubes has 3 layers to it. So a total of 27 pieces make up the cube. The next step is to learn how to line up the edges of the cubes. Once you have that down, the rest will follow easily. Note – For the sake of this guide, we will use the standard 3×3 version of the cube.
Step 1 – Solve the Edges. The first step is to line up the edges of the cube. For any given side, there are 2 colours present, so we need to get both of those colours on the same side. We do this by “scrambling” the cube, which means we break the cube down into its 27 different pieces, and then put it back together randomly. This will ensure an unbiased random distribution of the colours on the cube. Every time you repeat the solution, you will get a different outcome. When you have scrambled the cube and every side has the correct colours on it, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2 – Match up the Corners The next step is to match up the corners. For each corner, there are two colours present. By lining up the edges of the cube, you have already done the hardest part. The corners are just two colours, and the edges are two colours, so the corners are just a little bit more difficult. Once you have the edges on all 4 sides of the cube correct, you simply turn the cube so that one of the corners is in the lower-left corner of the cube. This is the easiest corner to start with, since it only has 2 colours and 1 side that needs to be correct, so it’s a great way to start. Once you have this corner in place, you need to make sure that the 2 colours on that corner are on the 2 sides of the cube that are on the same sides as the two colours on the other three corners. Once you have all 4 corners correctly, you have completed the hardest part of the puzzle.
Step 3 – Match up the Sides With the corners and the edges of the cube in place, the last step is to match up the sides. For each side, there are 3 colours present. By lining up the corners, you have already done the hardest part. The corners are 3 colours, and the sides are 3 colours, so the corners are just a little bit more difficult. Once you have all 4 sides of the cube matching up with their respective corners, you have completed the cube. All that remains is to rotate the cube to the solved position (one where every side has a single colour on it).
The “Rubik’s Cube Solution” Trick
With all the above being said, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. There is no shame in it – solving a Rubik’s Cube can be frustrating for even experienced players. If you want a little help but don’t want to simply give up, you can use the “Rubik’s Cube Solution” trick. This trick is designed to help you solve the first layer of the cube. The first layer is the easiest layer to solve, and by completing that layer, the rest of the cube will fall into place easily. Once you have completed the first layer, the rest is simply a matter of patience and persistence. There is no trick or shortcut to finishing the rest of the cube as quickly as possible.
Solving the First Layer
If you have never solved a Rubik’s Cube before, you must complete the first layer before moving on to the second one. If you skip the first layer and go straight to the second layer, you will likely end up with a “scrambled cube.” Scrambled cube can be extremely difficult to “unscramble” the cube back to its original state. It is much better to start with the first layer and then move on to the second layer. The best way to solve the first layer is by using the “corners-first” method. The corners-first method is reasonably easy to solve the cube’s first layer. Once the first layer is completed, the rest of the cube is a simple matter of rotating the cube and swapping pieces.
Solving the Second Layer
With the first layer complete, it is time to move on to the second layer. Solving the second layer of the cube is more difficult than the first layer, but it can be done. With the second layer, you will need to know how to “three-corners solve.” The three-corners solve a slightly more difficult method than the corners-first method, but it is easier to apply to the rest of the cube. Once you complete the second layer, you can move on to the third layer. The best way to solve the second layer is by using the “corners-first” method. The corners-first method is reasonably easy to solve the cube’s second layer. Once the second layer is completed, the rest of the cube is a simple matter of rotating the cube and swapping pieces.
Solving the Third Layer
With the second layer complete, you can move on to the third layer. Solving the third layer is more difficult than solving the first or second layers, but it can be done. The best way to solve the third layer is by using the “corners-first” method. The corners-first method is a reasonably tricky method to solve the third layer of the cube. With the third layer complete, you have completed the puzzle. All that remains is to rotate the cube and swap any pieces out of place.
The Rubik’s Cube is a challenging puzzle with a long history. It’s been around since the ’70s, and while it was initially seen as a toy for kids, it has developed a large following of adults who enjoy the puzzle. With the right approach, anyone can solve a Rubik’s Cube, and it can be a significant challenge to keep your mind active and engaged. If you have never solved a Rubik’s Cube before, or if you once knew how to solve one but have since forgotten, read on for our beginner’s guide on how to solve a Rubik’s Cube.