Estimate and Calculate Capacity

The capacity of something is the amount it can hold.  

We could talk about the capacity of a thimble, a cup, a bottle or even a swimming pool!

 

 

In this activity, we're going to look at a range of containers and estimate how much is in them, or how much they can hold in total.

 

We often describe a container as being full, half full or empty.

 

If we want an accurate measure, we can calculate capacity in millilitres (ml) or litres (l).

There are 1,000 ml in 1 litre.

 

Usually, a can of cola holds 330 ml (you can use this as a guide when answering some of the questions).

 

 

Let's have a look at an example:

 

 

How much liquid is in this jug?

We can see that the unit of measure is ml.

The line on the jug is level with 200 ml.

There are  200 ml of liquid in the jug.

We could also describe the jug as being approximately half full.

 

What is the total capacity of the jug?

We need to look at the top number on the scale.

This number is 400

The total capacity of the jug is 400 ml

 

What is the capacity of five jugs?

 

 

 

We know that one jug has a capacity of 400 ml.

To find the capacity of five jugs, we need to multiple 400 ml by 5

400 x 5 = 2,000 ml 

2,000 ml is equal to 2 l

 

Now it's your turn to have a go at some questions!