How to solve a Rubik's Cube

Invented in 1974 by Hungarian architecture professor Ernő Rubik, the cube has more than 43 quintillion possible positions. You don’t need to understand all of them. The beginner’s method breaks the puzzle into seven small goals, solved one layer at a time.

First, learn the notation

Each letter means turning one face a quarter turn clockwise, as if you were looking straight at that face.

An apostrophe means counterclockwise: R’ turns the right face the other way. A 2 means turn twice: U2 is a half turn of the top.

The center pieces never move relative to each other, so they tell you which color each face will be. White is opposite yellow on a standard cube.

Step 1: Make a white cross

With white on top, move the four white edge pieces next to the white center to form a plus sign. The trick: the second color on each edge must also match the center of the side face below it. This step has no fixed moves, so experiment. It becomes intuitive quickly.

Step 2: Place the white corners

Find a corner with white in the bottom layer and turn the bottom (D) until it sits directly under the spot where it belongs. Then repeat R’ D’ R D until the corner pops into place with white facing up. Do this for all four corners, and the whole white face, plus the first row of every side, is done.

Step 3: Finish the middle layer

Turn the cube over so yellow is on top. Find an edge in the top layer without yellow on it, and turn U until its front color matches the front center.

• If it needs to go right: U R U’ R’ U’ F’ U F
• If it needs to go left: U’ L’ U L U F U’ F’

Repeat for all four middle edges. Two layers are now solved.

Step 4: Make a yellow cross

Look at the top. You’ll see a dot, an L shape or a line of yellow. Hold an L in the top-left (or a line horizontally) and do F R U R’ U’ F’. Repeat until you have a yellow cross.

Step 5: Match the yellow edges

Turn U until two cross edges match their side centers. Hold one matched edge at the back and the other on the right, then do R U R’ U R U2 R’, followed by U. Repeat if needed until all four edges match.

Step 6: Put the yellow corners in the right spots

Find a corner that’s already in its correct place, even if it’s twisted. Hold it at the front right and do U R U’ L’ U R’ U’ L until all four corners sit in their correct positions.

Step 7: Twist the last corners

Hold the cube with an unsolved corner at the front right of the top. Repeat R’ D’ R D until that corner shows yellow on top. Don’t panic when the lower layers look scrambled; they’ll fix themselves. Then turn only the top (U) to bring the next unsolved corner to the front right and repeat. When the last corner turns yellow, the cube is solved.

Want another hands-on challenge that takes ten minutes instead of an afternoon? Try making slime.