Question: Evaluate.
$(-3)^3 = \square$
$(-6)^2 = \square$
1. **State the problem:** We need to evaluate the expressions $(-3)^3$ and $(-6)^2$.
2. **Recall the rules:**
- Raising a number to a power means multiplying the number by itself as many times as the exponent indicates.
- For odd exponents, the sign of the base is preserved.
- For even exponents, the result is always non-negative because the negative signs multiply to a positive.
3. **Evaluate $(-3)^3$:**
$$(-3)^3 = (-3) \times (-3) \times (-3)$$
First, multiply the first two:
$$(-3) \times (-3) = 9$$
Then multiply by the last $-3$:
$$9 \times (-3) = -27$$
So,
$$(-3)^3 = -27$$
4. **Evaluate $(-6)^2$:**
$$(-6)^2 = (-6) \times (-6)$$
Multiply:
$$(-6) \times (-6) = 36$$
So,
$$(-6)^2 = 36$$
**Final answers:**
- $(-3)^3 = -27$
- $(-6)^2 = 36$