Maths Notes for Chapter 6 Cubes and Cube Roots Class 8 - FREE PDF Download
FAQs on Cubes and Cube Roots Class 8 Maths Chapter 6 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
1. What key concepts should I summarise for a quick revision of Class 8 Maths Chapter 6, Cubes and Cube Roots?
For a quick revision of this chapter, you should create a summary of the following key concepts:
- Cubes and Perfect Cubes: Understanding what a cube number is and how to identify a perfect cube using prime factorisation.
- Properties of Cubes: Recalling patterns, such as the cube of an even number is even, and the cube of an odd number is odd.
- Cube Roots: Understanding that finding a cube root is the inverse operation of finding a cube.
- Methods for Finding Cube Roots: Mastering the prime factorisation method for accuracy and the estimation method as a shortcut for perfect cubes.
2. What is the core concept of a perfect cube as covered in the revision notes?
A perfect cube is a natural number that is the cube of another natural number. For a quick recap, the key test is this: when you perform the prime factorisation of a number, it is a perfect cube if every prime factor appears in a group of three. For example, in the prime factorisation of 216 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3, both prime factors 2 and 3 appear in triplets, confirming 216 is a perfect cube.
3. What are some important properties of cube numbers that are useful for a quick summary?
Key properties of cubes to remember for a quick summary include:
- The cube of an even number will always be even (e.g., 4³ = 64).
- The cube of an odd number will always be odd (e.g., 5³ = 125).
- Cubes of negative integers are always negative (e.g., (-2)³ = -8).
- The unit digit of a number's cube is determined by the unit digit of the number itself, which is a helpful pattern for estimation.
4. How do you find the cube root of a number using the prime factorisation method?
The prime factorisation method is a fundamental technique to revise. To find a cube root using this method, follow these steps:
- Resolve the given number into its prime factors.
- Group the identical prime factors into triplets (sets of three).
- From each triplet, take one factor.
- Multiply these chosen factors together. The product is the cube root of the original number.
For example, for 1728, the factors are (2×2×2) × (2×2×2) × (3×3×3). Taking one from each group gives 2 × 2 × 3 = 12.
5. Why must a number's prime factors appear in groups of three for it to be a perfect cube?
This is a core principle of the chapter. For a number 'n' to be a perfect cube, it must be the result of an integer 'a' multiplied by itself three times (a × a × a). When 'a' is broken down into its prime factors, cubing it means you cube each of those prime factors. This process naturally results in every prime factor in the final number 'n' appearing in a group of three. For instance, if a = 10 (2×5), then its cube n = 10³ = (2×5)³ = 2³ × 5³ = (2×2×2)×(5×5×5).
6. How is finding the cube of a number different from multiplying it by 3?
This is a common point of confusion. Here’s a clear distinction for your revision:
- Cubing a number means multiplying that number by itself three times. For example, the cube of 4 is 4 × 4 × 4 = 64.
- Multiplying a number by 3 is a form of repeated addition. For example, 4 multiplied by 3 is 4 + 4 + 4 = 12.
Remembering that cubing involves exponential growth (a power of 3) is a key takeaway.
7. For a chapter summary, what is a key difference between the properties of perfect squares and perfect cubes?
A key difference to highlight in your summary is how they treat negative numbers:
- A perfect square of a non-zero number is always positive. This is because a negative number multiplied by itself becomes positive (e.g., (-5)² = 25).
- A perfect cube can be negative. This is because a negative number multiplied by itself three times remains negative (e.g., (-5)³ = -125).
8. When is it better to use the estimation method for finding cube roots over prime factorisation?
The estimation method is a fast mental shortcut best used when you are absolutely certain that the given number is a perfect cube. It relies on analysing the unit digit and the remaining part of the number. However, the prime factorisation method is more reliable and fundamental because it works for any number and also serves to verify if the number is a perfect cube in the first place. For exams, always rely on prime factorisation for accurate solutions.

















