Volume and Capacity
What is Volume?
Volume is the amount of space that a three-dimensional object occupies. It is measured in cubic units, such as cubic centimeters or cubic meters.
How to Calculate Volume
The formula for finding the volume of a rectangular prism is:
Volume = length × width × height
For example, if the length of a rectangular prism is 5 cm, the width is 3 cm, and the height is 2 cm, then the volume would be:
Volume = 5 cm × 3 cm × 2 cm = 30 cubic centimeters
What is Capacity?
Capacity is the measure of how much a container can hold. It is also measured in cubic units, such as liters or milliliters.
How to Calculate Capacity
The formula for finding the capacity of a container is the same as finding the volume of a rectangular prism. You multiply the length, width, and height of the container to find its capacity.
Conversion between Units
1 liter = 1000 milliliters
1 cubic meter = 1000 liters
Study Guide
- Understand the difference between volume and capacity.
- Learn to calculate volume and capacity using the appropriate formulas.
- Practice converting between different units of volume and capacity.
- Work on real-world problems involving volume and capacity, such as filling containers with liquid or comparing the sizes of different objects.
[Volume And Capacity] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:
.◂Math Worksheets and Study Guides Fifth Grade. Volume and Capacity
Study Guide
Volume/Capacity 
Worksheet/Answer key
Volume/Capacity Worksheet/Answer key
Volume/Capacity Worksheet/Answer key
Volume/Capacity Worksheet/Answer key
Volume and Capacity Worksheet/Answer key
Volume and Capacity
Worksheet/Answer keyWorksheet/Answer keyWorksheet/Answer keyWorksheet/Answer keyWorksheet/Answer keyThe resources above cover the following skills:
Geometry (NCTM)
Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships.
Identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two- and three-dimensional shapes and develop vocabulary to describe the attributes.
Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems.
Use geometric models to solve problems in other areas of mathematics, such as number and measurement.
Measurement (NCTM)
Understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement.
Understand such attributes as length, area, weight, volume, and size of angle and select the appropriate type of unit for measuring each attribute.
Carry out simple unit conversions, such as from centimeters to meters, within a system of measurement.
Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements.
Select and apply appropriate standard units and tools to measure length, area, volume, weight, time, temperature, and the size of angles.
Grade 5 Curriculum Focal Points (NCTM)
Geometry and Measurement and Algebra: Describing three-dimensional shapes and analyzing their properties, including volume and surface area
Students relate two-dimensional shapes to three-dimensional shapes and analyze properties of polyhedral solids, describing them by the number of edges, faces, or vertices as well as the types of faces. Students recognize volume as an attribute of three-dimensional space. They understand that they can quantify volume by finding the total number of same-sized units of volume that they need to fill the space without gaps or overlaps. They understand that a cube that is 1 unit on an edge is the standard unit for measuring volume. They select appropriate units, strategies, and tools for solving problems that involve estimating or measuring volume. They decompose three-dimensional shapes and find surface areas and volumes of prisms. As they work with surface area, they find and justify relationships among the formulas for the areas of different polygons. They measure necessary attributes of shapes to use area formulas to solve problems.
Connections to the Grade 5 Focal Points (NCTM)
Measurement: Students' experiences connect their work with solids and volume to their earlier work with capacity and weight or mass. They solve problems that require attention to both approximation and precision of measurement.