Maria needs 125 cubes to fill the container. If her container is 10 centimeters wide, we know that it is also 10 centimeters tall and 10 centimeters deep, as cubes are three-dimensional objects made from six squares. We then also know that the two-centimeter cubes are equally sided, two tall and two deep. Since the small cubes are two centimeters across, five of them would be required to fill one length of the container. Five would be required to fill the depth of the container, and five layers of cubes would fill the container. Multiplying five cubes across by five deep results in 25 cubes to complete one layer. Five layers of 25 cubes fills the container, which equals 125 cubes. This answer could also have been found using exponentiation, at 5^3, or 5 "cubed." 5^3 = 125.