A cube is to be cut into 8 pieces of equal size and shape. Here, each cut should be straight and it should not stop till it reaches the other end of the cube.
The minimum number of such cuts required is
Answer
(A)
Explanation
Three cuts are enough: cut through the centre of the cube once parallel to each pair of opposite faces. Each cut halves every piece it passes through, giving \(2 \times 2 \times 2 = 8\) identical small cubes.
Fewer cuts cannot work. A straight cut splits each existing piece into at most two, so one cut gives at most 2 pieces and two cuts at most 4. At least 3 cuts are therefore needed, and 4, 7 and 8 are all more than the minimum.
Answer: A