Capacity and Volume

Capacity is how much a container can hold. Volume is how much space something takes up. We measure both using units like cups, liters, and gallons. Math helps us figure out the right amounts.

Units of Capacity

In the United States, common units are cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. Two cups make a pint. Two pints make a quart. Four quarts make a gallon.

In the metric system, people use milliliters and liters. There are 1,000 milliliters in one liter. A water bottle is usually about 500 milliliters, or half a liter.

Measuring Volume

You can find the volume of a box by multiplying length times width times height. A box that is 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 4 inches tall has a volume of 24 cubic inches.

Liquids are measured with measuring cups. When you pour juice into a cup, you are measuring its volume. Recipes use these measurements all the time.

Fun Facts

• An Olympic swimming pool holds about 660,000 gallons of water.
• A teaspoon holds about 5 milliliters of liquid.
• The biggest container ship in the world can hold over 24,000 shipping containers.

Did You Know?

A gallon of milk and a gallon of honey have the same volume, but honey weighs about 12 pounds while milk weighs about 8.6 pounds!