Imagine melting a large block of chocolate to pour into smaller cubic molds; the total volume of chocolate stays constant, and the number of pieces depends on how many times smaller the new volume is.

The principle of conservation of volume dictates that the total volume of matter remains constant during a geometric transformation or phase change, assuming no material is lost. The volume of any cube is given by the formula $V = s^3$, where $s$ is the side length. Therefore, the number of small cubes $N$ is determined by the ratio of their volumes: $N = \frac{s_{\text{large}}^3}{s_{\text{small}}^3} = \left(\frac{6}{2}\right)^3 = 3^3 = 27$.

Always verify whether a mensuration problem requires scaling of length ($s$), surface area ($s^2$), or volume ($s^3$).