D6 Students will be expected to solve simple problems involving volume and capacity.  

 

• Volume is the amount of space taken up by a three-dimensional object.

• The most frequently used units of volume are cubic centimetres, cubic decimetres, and cubic metres.

What is volume?

•Capacity is the amount a container is capable of holding.•The most frequently used units of capacity are the millimetre and the litre.•Capacity units are usually associated with measures of liquid, e.g. litres of milk, juice, fuel oil, and gasoline.

What is Capacity?

For units of length measurement, the common personal referents include the width of your thumb for a centimetre, the thickness of your fingernail for a millimetre, the length of the large Base-ten cube or the length of your handspan as a decimetre, and the measure from the floor to the door knob for a metre.What are some personal referents for volume and capacity units?

Having Personal Referents

The small Base-ten cube has a length, height, and depth each measuring 1 centimetre. Therefore, its volume is 1 cubic centimetre. If this small cube could be completely hollowed out, it would have a capacity of 1 millilitre. The large Base-ten cube has a length, height, and depth each measuring 1 decimetre. Therefore, its volume is 1 cubic decimetre. Its capacity is 1 litre.Make a cubic metre using several metre sticks One cubic metre has a length, height, and depth each measuring 1 metre. Therefore, its volume is 1 cubic metre.

Personal Referents for Volume and

Capacity

Which unit of measurement would be used in each situation below? Be prepared to defend your answer.Taking cough syrupBuying gasolineFinding the amount of air in a roomGetting a flu shotHaving a glass of juice

Choosing the Most Appropriate Volume or

Capacity Unit

Measure the volume of small rectangular prisms by counting the number of cubes it takes to build a duplicate each prism.Investigate the capacities of various beverage containers to determine which size container is found most often. Record your findings in a graph or table and present this to the class.

More Activities

D6.1 Calculate the volume of each type of Base-ten block.D6.2 A container holds 1.5 litres. Is it large enough to make a jug of orange juice if the concentrate is 355 ml and you have to use the concentrate can to add three full cans of water? Explain your thinking.

Student Activities

D6.3 How could you use a 1-L milk carton to estimate 750 ml of water?D6.4 Estimate the number of cubic metres in the classroom. Explain how you determined this estimate. Find the actual measurement. Use this information to help you estimate the volume of another differently sized room such as the library.

Student Activities

D6.5 I need a box with a volume of 4 000 cubic centimetres to hold a gift I have purchased. Describe what the box might look like. What is an example of a gift that would fit into this box?

Student Activities