Volume (Capacity) • Topic 2 of 5

Units

Capacity is measured in two standard units: the litre and the millilitre. The litre (written L or sometimes l) is the larger unit, used for things like a bottle of water, a jug of juice or a bucket. The millilitre (written mL or ml) is the smaller unit, used for small amounts like a spoon of medicine, a dropper or a small carton of juice. The link to remember for the whole chapter is one litre equals one thousand millilitres. From that single fact the common fractions follow: half a litre is 500 mL, a quarter litre is 250 mL, and three-quarters of a litre is 750 mL — figures children see daily on milk packets, soft-drink cans and tetra packs. Choosing the right unit is a skill CTET tests: you measure a spoonful of cough syrup in millilitres, not litres, and you measure the petrol in a scooter in litres, not millilitres. A useful classroom anchor is a standard 1-litre measuring jug, marked in steps of 100 mL, so children can see that ten of those 100 mL steps make one full litre. Some books mention the kilolitre (1 kL = 1000 L) for very large quantities such as a water tanker, but the primary paper almost always stays within litres and millilitres. The key teaching message is matching the unit to the object: small amounts in millilitres, large amounts in litres.

✅ Solved examples

1. Fill in the blank: 1 litre = ____ millilitres.
1000 millilitres. This is the fundamental relationship for the whole chapter (1 L = 1000 mL).
2. Which unit is most suitable to measure a spoonful of medicine?
Millilitre (mL). A spoonful is a very small amount, so millilitres are appropriate; litres would be far too large.
3. Half a litre of milk is the same as how many millilitres?
500 mL. Since 1 L = 1000 mL, half of that is 1000 / 2 = 500 mL.
4. A bucket of water for mopping the floor is best measured in:
Litres. A bucket holds several litres, so the litre is the sensible unit; millilitres would give an awkwardly large number.

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. The larger standard unit of capacity is the:
Used for bottles and buckets.
Symbol L.
Litre
2. 750 mL is the same as which fraction of a litre?
1000 mL = 1 L.
750 out of 1000.
Three-quarters (3/4) of a litre
3. The petrol filled in a motorcycle is measured in:
A fairly large amount of liquid.
Not millilitres.
Litres
4. A dropper releases medicine drop by drop. The right unit for one dose is:
A tiny amount.
The smaller unit.
Millilitre (mL)

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

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