Question 12386: Suppose a wooden cube measures eight units on a side. If you cut the cube into eight identical smaller cubes, how long is a side of one of the smaller cubes?
Answer by askmemath(368)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Picture a cube.To cut it into 8 equal pieces we have to make cuts along its surfaces.HOwever the way we make the cuts is important.
Lets say there's a side of the cube facing you.You make 3 cuts in it on the face towards you. You wont get 8 pieces.
The trick here is to realise that 8 is the cube of a number viz 2
So 2x2x2 = 8
Now subtract 1 from each 2
1,1,1 which means we make 1 cut along each plane of the cube to get 8 pieces.
Try it!!
If you had 27 pieces how many cuts would you have to make?
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