Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 04:54 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 04:54
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
guerrero25
Joined: 10 Apr 2012
Last visit: 13 Nov 2019
Posts: 244
Own Kudos:
5,061
 [62]
Given Kudos: 325
Location: United States
Concentration: Technology, Other
GPA: 2.44
WE:Project Management (Telecommunications)
Posts: 244
Kudos: 5,061
 [62]
9
Kudos
Add Kudos
52
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
Zarrolou
Joined: 02 Sep 2012
Last visit: 11 Dec 2013
Posts: 846
Own Kudos:
5,145
 [31]
Given Kudos: 219
Status:Far, far away!
Location: Italy
Concentration: Finance, Entrepreneurship
GPA: 3.8
Posts: 846
Kudos: 5,145
 [31]
16
Kudos
Add Kudos
15
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
aceacharya
Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Last visit: 10 Feb 2016
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
81
 [8]
Given Kudos: 27
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V44
GPA: 3.66
WE:Operations (Manufacturing)
Products:
GMAT 1: 770 Q50 V44
Posts: 48
Kudos: 81
 [8]
6
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 19 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,384
Own Kudos:
778,201
 [7]
Given Kudos: 99,977
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 105,384
Kudos: 778,201
 [7]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
64 small identical cubes are used to form a large cube. How many more cubes are needed to add one top layer of small cube all over the surface of the large cube ?

A. 64
B. 128
C. 152
D. 216
E. 256

Similar questions to practice:
a-big-cube-is-formed-by-rearranging-the-160-coloured-and-99424.html
a-large-cube-consists-of-125-identical-small-cubes-how-110256.html

Hope it helps.
avatar
jns
Joined: 21 Jun 2013
Last visit: 19 Jan 2018
Posts: 25
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 129
Posts: 25
Kudos: 78
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
aceacharya
Another way of solving this

Since the volume is 64 so the side must be 4 units each

The total no. of unit cubes to "coat" the bigger cube would be as

4^2=16 cubes to cover each face so 16*6=96
4 cubes on each edge so 4*12 = 48
one at each corner so 8

All add up to 96+48+8=152

Hi! I did not understand why you did 4^2, and why 8 more cubes are required at the corners.
avatar
igotthis
Joined: 10 Sep 2013
Last visit: 26 Jun 2014
Posts: 59
Own Kudos:
233
 [1]
Given Kudos: 2
Concentration: Sustainability, International Business
Posts: 59
Kudos: 233
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
vjns
aceacharya
Another way of solving this

Since the volume is 64 so the side must be 4 units each

The total no. of unit cubes to "coat" the bigger cube would be as

4^2=16 cubes to cover each face so 16*6=96
4 cubes on each edge so 4*12 = 48
one at each corner so 8

All add up to 96+48+8=152

Hi! I did not understand why you did 4^2, and why 8 more cubes are required at the corners.

The 4^ 2 is because there are 4 cubes on one side of the face. A face has 4 sides ( which makes it a square), so one face has 4+4+4+4 = 16 cubes.
Then, there are 6 faces, so 16*6 = 96 cubes
There are also 4 cubes on each edge = 4*12= 48
and since there are 8 corners in a big cube ( 4 that you can see, 4 at the back, and one at the bottom that you cant see). If you draw a cube and try counting the edges you'll find 8 edges
User avatar
kundankshrivastava
Joined: 14 May 2014
Last visit: 18 Oct 2014
Posts: 35
Own Kudos:
170
 [4]
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 35
Kudos: 170
 [4]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
64 small cube will make a large cube with 4 cubes in each line i.e.
Adding one layer will require one cube at each end and hence new cube will have 6 cubes in each line.

Total number of small cubes in new cube = 6^3 = 216

Extra cube required = 216 - 64 = 152

Hence, C is the answer.
avatar
PareshGmat
Joined: 27 Dec 2012
Last visit: 10 Jul 2016
Posts: 1,534
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 193
Status:The Best Or Nothing
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Technology
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Posts: 1,534
Kudos: 8,100
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Smaller cube = 4 x 4 x 4

Larger cube possible = 6 x 6 x 6

Two sides = 6 * 6 * 2 = 72

Remaining 4 sides = 16 * 4 = 64

4 corners = 4 * 4 = 16

Total = 72 + 64 + 16 = 152
User avatar
Badari
Joined: 17 Nov 2014
Last visit: 05 Feb 2023
Posts: 53
Own Kudos:
79
 [2]
Given Kudos: 166
Location: India
Posts: 53
Kudos: 79
 [2]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Let the side of the cube is x. The area is X^3=64 X=4 , there are 4 cubes on each side
To add one top layer of small cube all over the surface of the large cube.
we have to add one cube at both ends of a side 1+4+1=6, the new cube will have =216 cubes.

The difference in the number of cubes we've added: 216−64=152

C
avatar
goalMBA1990
Joined: 21 Feb 2017
Last visit: 16 Sep 2018
Posts: 48
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 23
Posts: 48
Kudos: 7
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Zarrolou
The side of the cube is N. The area is \(N^3=64\) so \(N=4\), there are 4 cubes on each side
To make this cube "one cube longer" we have to add one cube at both ends of a side \(1+4+1=6\), the new cube will have an area of \(6^3=216\) cubes.

The difference in the areas will be the number of cubes we've added: \(216-64=152\)

C

Why you have mentioned 'area' where as you have calculated 'volume'?
User avatar
GyMrAT
Joined: 14 Dec 2017
Last visit: 03 Nov 2020
Posts: 412
Own Kudos:
509
 [1]
Given Kudos: 173
Location: India
Posts: 412
Kudos: 509
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
64 small identical cubes are used to form a large cube. How many more cubes are needed to add one top layer of small cube all over the surface of the large cube ?

A. 64
B. 128
C. 152
D. 216
E. 256


Given 64 small cubes are used to form a large cube.

Consider the smaller cube with dimensions of 1 unit each. We get volume of each smaller cube = 1 cubic unit

The larger cube will have a volume = 64 cubic units = 4^3 cubic units.

Hence the larger cube has dimensions as 4 units & is made of 64 cubes.

Now if we want to add a top layer of cubes on each surface, hence we are increasing the dimensions of the larger cube by 1 unit in all directions.

Hence the height of the cube will be increased by 1 unit on the top & by 1 unit on the bottom. Similarly for length & width.

We get a new larger cube of dimensions 6 units. Its volume = 6^3 = 216 cubic units & is made of 216 cubes.

Therefore the no. of additional cubes required = 216 - 64 = 152 cubes


Answer C.


Thanks,
GyM
User avatar
u1983
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 24 Aug 2016
Last visit: 06 Jun 2021
Posts: 710
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 97
GMAT 1: 540 Q49 V16
GMAT 2: 680 Q49 V33
Products:
GMAT 2: 680 Q49 V33
Posts: 710
Kudos: 852
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
According to the Q, we have a cube stack of 4 at every axis of a 3d plane : 4^3=64
As we need to add 1 layer at each side we need a total stack of (1+4+1)^3 = 216 cubes
Thus , small cubes required to meet the cond : 216-64 =152.... Ans C
User avatar
Aamirso
Joined: 10 May 2018
Last visit: 05 Dec 2018
Posts: 29
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 29
Kudos: 10
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
64 small identical cubes are used to form a large cube. How many more cubes are needed to add one top layer of small cube all over the surface of the large cube ?

A. 64
B. 128
C. 152
D. 216
E. 256

It's a 4 x 4 x 4 cube.

An extra layer will make it 6 x 6 x 6 cube (a cube on each side will increase each edge by 2 cubes)

Difference = 6^3 - 4^3 = 216 - 64 = 152

C is my answer.
avatar
PreiteeRanjan
Joined: 10 Feb 2017
Last visit: 04 Oct 2020
Posts: 42
Own Kudos:
28
 [1]
Given Kudos: 25
Location: India
Schools: Rotman '20
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V37
GPA: 4
Products:
Schools: Rotman '20
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V37
Posts: 42
Kudos: 28
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
guerrero25
64 small identical cubes are used to form a large cube. How many more cubes are needed to add one top layer of small cube all over the surface of the large cube ?

A. 64
B. 128
C. 152
D. 216
E. 256
simple math:
small cube+64 should be equals to larger cube , a number of cubic form.

so starting from option A 64*64 is not a cube number
proceeding direct to answer option,as i already sovled, 152+64=216=6^3,so solved.

ONE KUDO IF YOU LIKE THE METHOD.
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,583
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,583
Kudos: 1,079
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
Math Expert
105383 posts
Tuck School Moderator
805 posts