To cut a cube into 8 pieces of equal size and shape, you can achieve this with 3 cuts.
Here's how:
- Make the first cut parallel to one face of the cube, dividing it into two equal halves.
- Make the second cut perpendicular to the first cut, dividing the cube into four equal quarters.
- Make the third cut perpendicular to both previous cuts, dividing each quarter into two equal parts.
After these three cuts, you will have 8 pieces of equal size and shape. So, the minimum number of cuts required is 3.