Class Notes

Cubes and Cube Roots

Grade 08
 Topics to be Covered

1. Cube Numbers

2. Properties of
Cube Numbers

2.1. Ones Digit of Cube

Numbers
2.2. Cube Numbers as
the Sum of Consecutive
Odd Numbers

3. Prime
Factorisation

3.1. Smallest Multiple to

make a Perfect Cube
3.2. Smallest Divisor to
make a Perfect Cube
4. Cube Roots

4.1. Method of Prime

Factorisation
4.2. Estimation Method
 Mind Map

Ones Digit of Cube Cube Numbers as the Sum of

Numbers Consecutive Odd Numbers

Properties of Cube Method of Prime

Numbers Factorisation

Cube Cubes and Cube

Numbers Cube Roots
Roots

Estimation
Prime Factorisation Method

Smallest Multiple to Make Smallest Divisor to Make

a Perfect Cube a Perfect Cube
 1. Cube Numbers

A cube number is obtained by multiplying a number with

itself three times. A cube number is also known as a
perfect cube.

13 = 1 × 1 × 1 = 1

23 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8

33 = 3 × 3 × 3 = 27

43 = 4 × 4 × 4 = 64

2. Properties of Cube Numbers

2.1. Ones Digit of Cube Numbers

• Cubes of the numbers The following are the cubes of

the numbers from 1 to 9:
ending in digit 1, 4, 5, 6 and
13 = 1
9 are the numbers ending
23 = 8
in the same digit.
33 = 27
• A number whose units digit 43 = 64
is 2 has a cube whose units 53 = 125
digit is 8 and vice versa. 63 = 216

• A number whose units digit 73 = 343

83 = 512
is 3 has a cube whose units
93 = 729
digit is 7 and vice versa.

Cubes of odd numbers are odd and cubes of

even numbers are even.
 2. Properties of Cube Numbers

2.2. Cube Numbers as the Sum of

Consecutive Odd Numbers

Express cube of 𝑛 as the sum of consecutive odd numbers:

Case I: When 𝑛 is odd, its middle term is 𝑛2
# $!
So, the %
consecutive odd numbers comes before 𝑛2 and
# $!
odd consecutive numbers comes after 𝑛2.
%

Case II: When 𝑛 is even, its middle terms are 𝑛2 - 1 and 𝑛2 + 1

# $%
So, odd consecutive numbers comes before 𝑛2 -1 and
%
# $!
%
odd consecutive numbers comes after 𝑛2 + 1.

Example: 103 as the sum of 10 consecutive odd numbers

103 = 1000
We can find the middle most odd number by taking the mean:
!"""
= 100
!"

But 100 won't be the middle term, as it's an even number.

There will be two middle terms for 10 consecutive odd
numbers. Hence, we take 99 and 101 as two middle terms.
We can write four odd numbers each before 99 and after
101 as:
91 + 93 + 95 + 97 + 99 + 101 + 103 + 105 + 107 + 109
So, we can write the sum as:
103 = 91 + 93 + 95 97 + 99 +101 + 103 + 105 + 107 + 109
 3. Prime Factorisation of a Number

• Each prime factor of a number appears three

times in the cube of the number.
• If each prime factor of a number appears three
times in the prime factorisation, then the number
is a perfect cube.
Let’s consider the prime factorisation of 216

2 216

2 108

2 54

3 27

3 9

3 3
1

216 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3
 3. Prime Factorisation

3.1. Smallest Multiple to Make a Perfect Cube

Step 1: Find the prime factorisation of the given number.

For example, consider the number 72

Prime factorisation of 72:
72 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3
The prime factors can also be grouped as 2& × 3%. Here, 3 is
not obtained in triplets.
Step 2: Multiply the given number by prime factors, which
are not in triplets.
The smallest number by which 72 must be multiplied to
obtain a perfect cube is 3.

3.2. Smallest Divisor to Make a Perfect Cube

Step 1: Find the prime factorisation of the given numbers.

For example, consider a number 53240

Prime factorisation of 53240:
53240 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 11 × 11 × 11 × 5
The prime factors can also be grouped as 2& × 11& × 5.
Here, 5 is not obtained in triplets.
Step 2: Divide the given number by prime factors, which
are not in triplets.

The smallest number by which 53240 must be divided to

obtain a perfect cube is 5.
 4. Cube Roots

• The symbol !
Cube of Cube root of
numbers numbers
denotes ‘cube root’.
!
• Finding a cube root 13 = 1 1=1
!
is the inverse 23 = 8 8=2
!
operation of finding 33 = 27 27 = 3
the cube. 43 = 64 !
64 = 4

4.1. Cube Roots through Method of Prime Factorisation

For example, let’s find cube root of
the number 216

Step 1: Resolve the given 2 216

numbers into prime factors. 2 108
2 54
216 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 3 27
3 9
Step 2: Group them in triplets. 3 3
1
216 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3

Step 3: Choose only one prime

factor from each group.
!
216 = 2 × 3

Step 4: Multiply the chosen

prime factors.
!
216 = 6
 4. Cube Roots

4.1. Cube Roots through Estimation Method

Step 1: Divide the cube number into groups of three

starting from rightmost digit.

For example, let’s find cube root of the number 857375

857 375
Second First
group group

Step 2: Take the first group, and write the digit in ones
place of the cube root based on the digit in ones place of
the first group.

The number 375 ends with 5.

5 comes at the ones place of a number only when the digit
at the ones place of its cube root is 5.
So, we get 5 at the ones place of the cube root.

Step 3: Take the second group and find the closest

cube number less than the second group and write its
cube root as the digit in tens place.

For the group 857

We know that 93 = 729 and 103 = 1000. Also, 729 < 857 <
1000. We take the one’s place of the smaller number 729
as the ten’s place of the required cube root.
!
So, we get 857375 = 95
 Important Questions

Question 1 3 marks

Without evaluating the expression, find the unit digit

of (193 + 272).

Solution

Unit digit of (193) will be 9 1 mark

Unit digit of (272) will also be 9. 1 mark

Now, when these two are added, the result will be

18 which gives 8 in the units place.
So, the final answer will have 8 in its units place. 1 mark

Question 2 2 marks

Prove that if a number is halved, its cube will be one-eighth

the cube of the original number.

Solution

Let the number be 𝑛.

Its cube will be 𝑛&. 0.5 mark

!
Half of the number will be 𝑛.
%
! ! & ! & & ! 1 marks
Cube of %
𝑛 = %
𝑛 = %
𝑛 = ' 𝑛&

Hence, the resultant cube is one-eighth the

cube of the original number. 0.5 mark
 Important Questions

Question 3 3 marks

Shishir is trying to express 73 as the sum of consecutive

odd numbers. Can you find the odd numbers whose sum
leads to 73?

Solution
The sum of 7 consecutive odd numbers gives 73. To find
the odd numbers whose sum is 73, we first divide 73 by 7.
73 1 mark
⇒ = 72 = 49
7
Since, 49 is an odd number, it is the middle number of the
series. The other odd numbers are the 3 odd ones before
and after 49. 1 mark

So, the odd numbers whose sum gives 73 are 43, 45, 47,
49, 51, 53, 55. 1 mark
 Important Questions

Question 4 3 marks

Is 9720 a perfect cube? If not, find the smallest number by

which it should be divided to get a perfect cube.

Solution

2 9720
2 4860
2 2430
3 1215
3 405
3 135
3 45
3 15
5 5 1 mark
1

Prime factors of 9720 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 5

The prime factors 3 and 5 do not appear in group of triplets.
So, 9720 is not a perfect cube. 0.5 mark
If we divide the number by 3 × 3 × 5, then the prime
factorisation of the quotient will not contain 3 × 3 × 5 = 45
∴ 9720 ÷ 45 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3
= 216 = 63
Hence, the smallest number by which 9720 should be divided
to get a perfect cube is 45.
1.5 marks
 Important Questions

Question 5 3 marks
You are told that 1,331 is a perfect cube. Can you guess
without factorization what is its cube root?

Solution

We already know how to find the cube root of any

cube number.
Step 1: Take the given cube number, 1331 and start
making groups of three digits starting from the right
most digit of the number.
1 331 1 mark
Step 2: First group i.e., 331 will give us digit in the
ones place of the required cube root.
The number 331 ends with 1. We know that 1 comes at
the ones place of a number only when it’s cube root
ends with 1.
So, we get 1 at the digit in the ones place of the cube
root. 0.5 mark
Step 3: Now take another group, i.e., 1.
1 is a cube number so we can take cube root of 1 as
the tens place of the required cube root.
!
So, we get 1331 = 11 0.5 mark
 Important Questions

Question 6 5 marks

Three numbers are in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3 and the sum of their

cubes is 4500. Find the numbers.

Solution

Let the three numbers be 𝑥, 2𝑥, and 3𝑥. 0.5 mark

According to the question,
𝑥3 + 2𝑥 & + 3𝑥 & = 4500 1 mark

⇒ 𝑥3 + 8𝑥3 + 27𝑥3 = 4500

⇒ 36𝑥3 = 4500
()""
⇒ 𝑥3 = &*

⇒ 𝑥3 = 125 1 mark

Taking cube roots on both sides, we get

!
⇒𝑥= 125
!
⇒𝑥= 5×5×5
∴𝑥 =5 2 marks

Hence, the numbers are 5, 2 × 5, and 3 × 5,

that is, 5, 10, and 15. 0.5 mark