A cube is cut parallel to one face by making 5 cuts such that all the resulting pieces are identical. What is the maximum number of identical pieces that can be obtained now by making 11 more cuts in any direction. a. 215 b. 216 c. 252 d. 266

The answer to this question can be found by understanding how the number of pieces increases with each cut.

Step 1: Initially, we have a cube, which is 1 piece.

Step 2: After the first cut, we have 2 pieces.

Step 3: Each subsequent cut increases the number of pieces by the number of pieces we had before the cut. So, after 5 cuts, we have 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15 pieces.

Step 4: Now, we want to make 11 more cuts. Each cut will again increase the number of pieces by the number of pieces we had before the cut. So, after 11 more cuts, we have 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 = 220 pieces.

Step 5: Adding the pieces from the first 5 cuts and the next 11 cuts, we get 15 + 220 = 235 pieces.

However, none of the options match this result. There might be a mistake in the question or the options provided.