Rubik’s cubes have been around for decades. The most popular version is a 3×3 cube that can be rotated and manipulated to have all the colors match on one side. However, this cube wasn’t meant to be solved quickly. Later on, speed cubes were made to be solved quickly and efficiently. This new type of cube changed the art of cubing into a competition. Read on to learn about the parts, the different mechanisms, and how it all works together to create a swift and speedy toy.
The Parts
The speed cube is made up of 6 center pieces that stay oriented and can’t be moved around. Then, there are 20 “cubies” (eight corner pieces and 12 edge pieces) that surround the center pieces, which can be manipulated and turned into different spots. Additionally, to make the cube faster, some of the edges of the squares are rounded, which makes it easier to corner cut, or to start another turn of the cube before one is completely finished. Some speed cubes may also have magnets at the edges of the cubes, making the turns more precise.
Cube Improvements
A regular Rubik’s Cube is held together with a lot of plastic which creates a lot of friction within the cube, making it less efficient. However, the pieces of a speed cube are designed differently. The design on the edges help the cubies move swiftly. If you put together all of the 20 cubies, then you will get a sphere shaped core, which is different from the original Rubik’s Cube. Additionally, each speed cube has a tension system which consists of screw and springs that help to hold the cube together. You can open the caps of the six center pieces and you will be able to adjust the tension within the cube using your hand, or a tool that comes with the cube. If you adjust the cube to have a looser tension, then the cube will feel more loose, and the pieces of the cube won’t be held together as tightly. However, if you add more tension to the cube, then the cube will feel tighter, and the pieces will be held together more tightly. Each cuber has their own preferences, but you should aim to tighten all the screws to the same tension on all six center pieces. Another tool that is often used to help make cubes faster is called lubricant. There are many forms of lubricant like nebula, cosmos, or silicon lubricant, which is a popular type. The lubricant acts as an oil for the cube, minimizing the friction for the turns.
All of these parts and tools help make speed cubes so fast. However, without a fast method the cube can’t be solved really quickly. The most popular one used by speed cubers is called CFOP, which stands for Cross, F2L (first 2 layers), OLL (orientation of last layer), and PLL (permutation of last layer). If you have a good method, and you have a good cube, you will definitely be able to succeed in the world of cubing.
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https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-speed-cubes/
https://cubing.co/blog/rubiks-cube-vs-speed-cube
