What is the volume of a cube with a side length of 3 cm?

To find the volume of a cube, the formula used is:

[ \text{Volume} = \text{side length}^3 ]

In this case, the side length of the cube is given as 3 cm. Using the formula:

[ \text{Volume} = 3 , \text{cm} \times 3 , \text{cm} \times 3 , \text{cm} = 3^3 = 27 , \text{cm}^3 ]

Therefore, the volume of the cube is 27 cm³. This matches with the correct answer and illustrates that when you multiply the side length of a cube by itself two more times (since a cube has three dimensions), you get the volume. In this scenario, 27 cm³ accurately represents the space occupied by the cube.